


La Rue Macabre

by VictoriaBlue



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Enemies to Lovers, Getting Back Together, Human Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Loss of Virginity, Mentions of past, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self Insert, Slow Burn, This is a reader fanfic, mentions of abuse, musical fanfic, old people are bad at feelings, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24983419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoriaBlue/pseuds/VictoriaBlue
Summary: After Charlie's TV fiasco, Alastor proposes to host an inauguration party big enough to attract the press again. Hiring Lilith to sing is off the table, but as they're planning the party, they find themselves involved with an underground opera house called La Rue Macabre, and the suspiciously willing owner of the place.With the Prima Donna of La Rue Macabre singing at the inauguration, the Hotel will certainly attract more demons, so why is the Radio Demon so unwilling to work with her?Musical fanfic.
Relationships: Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Original Character(s), Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Reader, Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel)/Original Male Character(s), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 18
Kudos: 114





	1. What's next?

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO, IT'S ME THE PORN LADY BRINGING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT PORN. 
> 
> I've been super deep in the Hazbin Hotel fandom for a while now, and I just kept thinking about Alastor x Reader fanfics, and loving them because I'm 27 and I still want the fictional men I fall for to love me back! So I decided "Why the hell not?" And started my very own Alastor x Reader. 
> 
> This is a self-insert, despite being written in the third person and stuff. The MC has a nickname which I will reveal next chapter, but that's a nickname, and she will discuss her real name later, though it won't be clarified what's it because it's supposed to be you, you know?" 
> 
> Any other physical aspect is left ambiguous too. I was inspired by Moulin Rouge to create La Rue Macabre, so you might bump into obvious references. This is also a musical fanfic, what does it mean? It means that the chapters will have a song in them, not only for reading while listening, but I actually took the time to make the reading and the song have coherence, and the characters are singing, so yeah. I take into consideration the time when you click, youtube opens and you go back to reading but of course it depends on how fast you read. 
> 
> If you'd like, I can make an Spotify playlist with all the songs! 
> 
> Also just a warning. I'm super... suuuuuper inconsistent and I just don't know how to finish what I start so feel free to GET ON MY ASS AND FORCE ME TO WRITE because I just don't know how to compromise. 
> 
> With that said, here you have the pilot chapter. Not a lot happens yet, the next chapter will finally introduce La Rue Macabre and their Prima Donna!
> 
> PS: English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please do tell me!

"So, what comes next?" 

The question lingered in the air as four people sat around a table, a warm pot of Jambalaya in the middle. The fresh aroma of herbs, rice, and seafood coated every corner of the room. Charlie was smiling, gladly helping herself to a plate of the meal. Across the table, Angel Dust was casually munching, cheeks filled with food. 

"Next? What are you even talking about? You're the one who forced us to sit here and have dinner, don't you know what comes next?" Vaggie was reluctant to eat, she was convinced that the Radio Demon was dangerous, that his presence was a continuous threat to all of Charlie's plans. 

"No, no, no, my grumpy little friend, I mean the hotel!" Alastor raised both arms in a theatrical gesture. "What's next? Are we going to kidnap sinners from the street and _persuade_ them to rehabilitate themselves?" The way he almost purred the word 'persuade' sent a shiver down Vaggie's spine, "or will we sit here and wait for them to come? Because after your wonderful performance, I'm sure they're all stampeding towards the hotel." 

Vaggie was about to raise her voice, but Charlie's hand in her own caused her to stop before she could talk. Charlie was the one who spoke after properly finishing her mouthful of rice, "I think we all agree that we need to make demons forget about the T.V. accident, haha." 

"Yeah cuz it was a shitshow, you gotta work on those publicity details." 

A piece of liquified rice landed on Charlie's cheek as Angel spoke with his mouth full of food, happily munching on more shrimp. She cleaned her face with a napkin, her expression mildly annoyed before she spoke again. "I mean, yeah, it was bad, but maybe it wasn't THAT bad? My mom always says there's no such thing as bad publicity! Right?" Silence. Angel Dust was loudly munching on his meal, the lingering static noise was present in the background. 

Nifty came around in a rush, cleaning the small rice grains that fell to the floor around Angel Dust, mumbling an incoherent trail of things none of them understood. She clouded their view with her quick movements and noisy voice and then disappeared. 

They had almost forgotten the young girl and Husk were also there. 

"The thing about publicity is that there's, indeed, no bad publicity. Everyone must already know about the Hotel. Now you have to decide what's next, little demon belle. How will you fill these rooms with lowly sinners aiming for redemption?" Alastor's smile grew until it was splitting his face "because I've got some ideas!" 

"I don't want to hear your ideas, you're probably thinking of literally kidnapping people and putting them through some kind of shitty conversion therapy with electroshocks, and torture, and... and... " 

"Come on, Vaggie, let's listen to what he has to say! He's a business partner now!" 

As Vaggie spoke, Alastor's grin grew impossibly, but his face regained the happy-go-lucky aspect with Charlie's intervention. "Why, yes, my dear! I've got amazing new ideas for this marvelous project, and while some of them do include kidnapping and torture, I'm sure you'll find the others just fitting for your purpose!" 

He stood up, fingers snapping to make the Jambalaya disappear (much to Angel's annoyance), and to cover the table with a bunch of folders, notes, and other office goods. He took a pen and dipped it in a small tint container. "First of all, your introduction to the world was an absolute disaster, we have to do it all over again! So we have to find a way to get you back on that picture-show so you can properly announce the grand opening of the Hazbin Hotel!"

Alastor's happy scrabbling was interrupted by a loud 'UGH', Angel was barely sitting, head dipped back and stomach slightly bloated, proof of just how sated he felt. "Keep on dreaming, asshole, this chick just got herself into a cat-fight with Katie Fucking Killjoy, and then set fire to Tom Trench's ass. The showbiz world is off-limits now, y'all never getting another minute on-air, her influence is gigantic, GI-GAN-TE, as the Mexican one would say." 

He finger-gunned towards Vaggie with all of his four arms, and in return, she sent daggers towards him as he spoke again: "So forget the idea of being on T.V. again, your daddy might be the big honcho of hell but you ain't gonna walk back there just like that." 

"Oh, come on! She started it!" Annoyed, Charlie threw her arms and then crossed them over her chest with a childish pout. 

Angel was right, there was no way she could go back asking for another chance. Her mother could probably arrange another interview, but she was far too busy. 

"Well, we'll have to find a way, and this might be the perfect bait! Plan B!" Alastor chirped, "a big inauguration party!" Out of nowhere, he pulled a big sign with the words 'plan B' and 'Party' written. "If we celebrate a big enough party, we will be able to attract those rating-hungry personalities of the show business!" 

"YES! That's a great idea! We can have music, and food, and a dance floor! OOOH, I can sing live! We can have Karaoke!" Charlie squeaked, excited, getting on her feet and clapping a couple of times. Vaggie reached for her arm as if to calm her. 

"That sounds amazing, but do we have the time to organize such a party? And the budget? If we want to prepare something big enough to make the news channel swallow their hate and attend the event, we need to hire a famous performer and pay for their act. We need to make it huge, and we're only four per-"

"Aw nah, don't look at me, I'm in rehab! I won't help with this shitty party." 

Vaggie turned to Angel, grabbing the ridiculous bowtie he wore to pull him towards her. "Listen, you racist, sexist, and ungrateful piece of shit, we should still kick you out for the stupid stunt you pulled back there, so if you want to keep your room AND your dick attached to your body, you WILL help," she said in a grim tone. Angel freed himself with a violent gesture and rolled his eyes, visibly upset. 

"UGH, LISTEN, if y'all really want the fucking news to come over and cover a fucking party, y'all gonna have to hire fucking Lilith herself or somethin'. Can't your momma just, like, come and be pretty and sing some shit? If she sings a whole lot of perverts will be here to see, and if the party is big enough, has some famous people in it, and shows how the hotel will be working, they may say 'fuck it' and come."

As Angel finished, both Vaggie and Alastor looked towards Charlie, who was now visibly tense. Her mother was Hell's most famous singer, if she could come to the party and sing, the news would definitely broadcast the event. 

The only problem was that she wouldn't come, she wouldn't sing, her schedule was too full. With a sigh, Charle shook her head, "we need to find something else. Angel, you work in the industry, don't you have some contacts to arrange another interview? Or maybe a DJ, a singer..." 

"I mean I know people but, like, y'all really want my friends from the studio to perform? It would be an unforgettable event, tho." The spider fluffed his chest proudly, eyes half-lidded and tone seductive. If they wanted him to perform in public he would, as long as he got paid to do it. 

"HAHA! No, no, no, that won't be necessary, we are trying to open a Hotel, not a Brothel. We'll have to find some other way to make the party as grand as possible. We can have a parade with exotic animals and dancers coming from the street, it would start downtown!" Alastor started arranging folders, chirping different ideas, and filling both Vaggie's and Charlie's arms with paper. His enthusiasm was loud, and soon it made a fifth person groan in annoyance.

"I know someone." Husk's voice resounded in the room, he was all the way to the bar, laying lazily over the counter with a bottle of cheap booze in his hands. He was happily basking in his drunken state when the noisy problems of the others caught his attention. 

"If this will shut you all up, I can tell you. His name is Ascarabee. He owes me a shitload of money, so he lets me drink for free at his other bars, but he has this place called La Rue Macabre, which is supposed to be some super underground shit. It's not so much of a bar but is not a stripper club either. It has some kind of show going on.

A lot of people know La Rue Macabre, but it's super selective, and only allows some powerful shitlords. Even I can't go inside, and the asshole owes me. If you can sneak in and find him, maybe you can convince him to help you. Tell him you can get your dad to go to a show or something." He drank a mouthful of cheap booze and continued. "He likes drama, so maybe he'll say yes. If he doesn't, maybe you can get one of the performers to come." 

"Holy shit," Angel said, "La Rue Macabre? That shit is another level, classy as fuck! Val loves it there! Yeah, we should totally go, I've never been there!" 

"An underground club that isn't a striptease, but also isn't a bar? Sounds kinda sketchy if you ask me. Besides, your plan has a lot of flaws, like, how would we sneak into this place that's full of overlords." Vaggie uncrossed her arms, letting the bunch of folders and papers fall to the floor. Alastor didn't even flinch at this, but his smile suddenly grew happier. 

Vaggie continued, "I may come across as way too paranoid, but if they're keeping their shit successfully hidden, then someone powerful might be protecting the place. How would we sneak in? And how would we even manage to convince this Aracbee dude? Perhaps he doesn't even care about Lucifer attending his club. And if we approach him without an invitation and he gets pissed-..." 

"AH! La Rue Macabre! Yes, I know the place. Husker, I wasn't aware you had business with them. It's not the underground headquarter of a powerful demon, my dear, oh no. It's an opera house!" Alastor stood up immediately, microphone appearing in his hand and pointing towards Vaggie. "I happen to have an open invitation. It is, indeed, a place reserved for the strong demons, and a lot of business and territory affairs happen there. However, since some unpleasant persons attend regularly, I simply rejected the invitation." 

Pointing his microphone towards Charlie now, he continued: "their show is legendary among the powerful overlords, but the common demons don't know about the place. I'm sure your father must have heard about it. I've been told he's interested in having Lilith sing in La Rue, so you do have something to offer in exchange." 

The blond tensed up again. No, she had nothing to offer in exchange, her mother was far too busy, she had concerts, events and tv apparitions scheduled for months, she couldn't even pick up the phone. She sighed and then forced a smile "we need to think of something else. Maybe we can print a lot of invitations and offer free food. An open-house!" But she couldn't keep speaking. Alastor took her wrist and her waist to make her twirl exaggeratedly. 

"All you have to do is mention your mother to get his attention. I'll do the rest! We have to prepare a magnificent party, and a show is mandatory!" He took Vaggie's arm and pulled, squeezing her and Charlie in his long arms while grinning like a hyena. "I can get us in, easy-peasy!" 

"Oh, oh! And if I use Val's name, I can help us stay inside! See? I'm helpful. Redemption and shit!" 

"Well, that settles it! We are going to La Rue Macabre immediately! No time for dressing up!" He said this, but still, Alastor snapped his fingers and gave everyone the outfits they wore back during his song. He kept his red pinstripe suit. Pulling Charlie's arm, Alastor waltzed around with her and then made her fall right into Vaggies arms as a [ funky tune came out of nowhere. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyHuSn2xd4Q)

"Are you seriously going to sing again?!" Vaggie roared 

Alastor's only answer was a snap of his fingers that brought back that green lighting from before. An army of shadows appeared on the walls, all of them flickering and dancing as their deep voices choired the song. 

**_"HEY!_ "** Charlie started dancing immediately, loving the beat. Vaggie meanwhile was too busy watching the shadows emerge from many places, approaching dangerously towards them. Out of nowhere, Alastor took Vaggie's pale wrist and made her dance with him despite her protests. The shadows and green lighting evolved everything until his red eyes were the only thing she could see. Charlie, Angel and the Hotel were gone. She was alone, waltzing in the dark with this Radio Demon. 

She felt fear for a moment, the gentle trumpet and clarinet in the background sending shivers down her spine. Then, she was spinning, her wrists trapped in Alastor's hands. 

> _**Tonight we're gonna party!** _
> 
> _**Tonight we're gonna party!** _
> 
> _**Tonight we're gonna party!** _
> 
> _**Tonight we're gonna party!** _

The dizziness increased, and before she could throw up, she found her feet back on the ground. They were all in a humid street, red lighting barely dissipating the darkness of the night. In front of them was a majestic theatre filled with crimson lamps. A big shiny sign was on top. 

_La Rue Macabre_

> _**Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1929!** _


	2. Diamond's are a girls best friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside of La Rue Macabre, a world of entertainment awaits. They finally get inside Hell's most mysterious club and bump into Hell's most powerful beings. 
> 
> Because we can can can.

"And just what the hell am I doing here, you pretentious prick?!" 

Husk lifted himself from the ground, brushing off the dust with an annoyed expression. Twice, the radio bastard had teleported his ass two times in one single day. 

Husk was ready to commit murder. 

"Well, he owes you money, of course." Alastor dusted his suit too, fixing his hair and examining his gloved hands. When he didn't see one single flaw, he pulled the cat demon closer with a satisfied grin. "You will introduce us to this fellow."

"This is a bad idea, Charlie, we can't just sneak into this place, let alone with him. He's been around for three hours at most. We don't know if we can trust him." Vaggie reached for her girlfriend's arm immediately, grabbing her by the cheeks and whispering, as if that would prevent Alastor from overhearing. 

Of course, that didn't work, and soon the Radio Demon left Husk alone to grab both women and squeeze them in a hug. 

"Don't be ridiculous! This is entertainment at its finest! We have to stick together to achieve the grand purpose of this project!" 

"Besides this is La Rue Macabre, bitch! Y'all think I'm missing out just because smiles here is a fucking creep? HAH! Honey, you need to man up." Angel walked past them, swinging his hips towards the door. Somehow, he managed to look voluptuous even with a full suit on. 

"Listen, we need to trust each other if we are going to be a team. Besides, he said no voodoo bullshit, right?" Charlie forced a nervous laugh and then turned to Vaggie, fixing the soft fabric that fell over one of her shoulders, "if things get out of control I can protect us, but let's try to be a team." 

"I really think we should think this better, Charlie. I mean, back at the hotel he didn't like it here, and then he's all happy to sneak us in? You have to admit this is shady as hell." 

The static noise was cut off suddenly, and Alastor turned towards Vaggie, his expression somewhat annoyed, but smile intact. 

Husk eyed the dapper man, "good question. Why do you feel like partying all of a sudden?" Alastor turned to him too. His expression faltered for a millisecond, but then he was all happy-go-lucky again. 

"Don't be absurd, this is for the hotel! How could I spare ANY effort? Now, don't get too far from me, and avoid speaking to strangers. As my mother would say, this place is filled with palookas and perverts, and that's contagious!" 

He pushed Husk towards the door, where Angel was already trying to flirt his way in with a stone-faced bouncer. Charlie shrugged and approached, followed by a reluctant Vaggie. 

"Hello, my good gentleman! The name's Alastor! I happen to have an invitation from my old friend Ascarabee." 

The blond girl squeezed herself between Alastor and the bouncer, smiling proudly, "and I'm Charlie Magne, daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Look me up! I just finished an interview with my personal friend Katie Killjoy," she declared smugly. 

The demon eyed Alastor seemingly unamused, even bored. From his suit, he took a tablet and began sliding his fingers over the screen. 

Suddenly, he pointed to Charlie and said: 

"You enter, they don't" 

The first one to complain was Angel, but Vaggie was quick enough to cover his mouth. Alastor waved a hand, silencing the others, then he turned to the bouncer with a toothy grin. 

"Ohoho, my friend... Shall we try that again?" 

*******

The interior of La Rue Macabre was exactly what Charlie expected. The roof was covered with a mural, and a big, circular stage was placed right in the center. 

There were no chairs on the floor. 

The place wasn't crowded, all around, different demons chatted inside luxurious balconies, sharing expensive-looking drinks or laughing loudly. Charlie recognized some of the most powerful overlords immediately and made a mental note to stay far away from them. 

This really was an exclusive place. 

As the blond woman looked around, a loud gasp right beside her ear surprised her. Angel Dust pointed towards a box, "holy shit, is that Stolas?!" he yelled. 

"Who?" asked Vaggie.

"He's a fucking prince! Lemme get over there." The white-haired woman grabbed one of his arms to stop him, cursing in Spanish under her breath because Angel was strong enough to simply drag her with him. "I'm not leavin' without a good sugar daddy or-" He suddenly desisted, shoulders dropping. "Shit, he has a fucking imp with him, what the hell!? I look prettier!" 

"Let's keep this professional, ok, Angel?" Charlie grabbed him by another arm to help Vaggie move him close to Alastor and Husk. The Radio demon was smiling happily, head moving around in inhuman angles to take in every little detail.

What a classy decoration. 

_[Suddenly, the lights went out,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7aPCbsyVBk)_ the demons stopped talking. A drum could be heard, then fingers snapping, and a melody, but none of them knew the source of the sounds. 

A group of choir girls appeared above the stage. They were all wearing bright-colored costumes that consisted of a tight leotard, thigh-high stockings, and garter-belts. They also wore small hats on the side of their heads. 

**_"Hey, sister go, sister soul, sister flow, sister... "_ **

Vaggie reacted instantly, catching Charlie's arm to pull her closer, "I know this song!" She said directly into her ear, excited. The music was too loud, so it was the only way to make sure Charlie would hear. 

The blond girl smiled a happy smile, glad Vaggie could enjoy the moment. The white-haired woman didn't waste a second and started snapping her fingers, singing shyly to the familiar tune. She wasn't too much of an extrovert, but this was a good song. It reminded her of when she was alive. 

Alastor laughed at that, loud enough to surprise both Husk and Vaggie. In a moment, his arms were around the moth's shoulders, "I told you that this would be a marvelous experience! But don't get too comfortable, we still need to talk business!"

He deserved a harder shove than the one he received, Vaggie thought, but she was still glad to be free.

**_"Creole lady marmalade!"_ **

"Hey baby, Voulez-Vous coucher Avec Moi?" Angel didn't waste his opportunity to flirt with Husk, who only groaned in response, getting away quickly. 

He ignored the way the spider was seductively waving his chest and hips and focused on getting closer to Alastor. "Can we get to Ascarabee and be done with this shit? This noise is fucking killing me," he yelled, paws pressed against his ears. 

Alastor caught the cat in one arm, his toothy smile intact. "Don't be such a sourpuss, my friend! The fun has just started, let's appreciate this wonderful presentation." 

"Are we really going to sit here and watch this shitshow?!" Husk complained again, now looking at Charlie. His expression became sour the minute he noticed the princess dancing and singing, she was way too excited and ignored his question. 

It was Angel the one who, surprisingly, caught some sense of responsibility. 

"Yeah, we better go get him soon. Where is he?" 

As he said this, a giant cockroach appeared in the middle of the stage. It was dressed in a traditional red showman attire.

"Hello, sinners! Yes, it's me! Your own beloved Ascarabee, in the flesh! Welcome to La Rue Macabre!" He called loudly. All of a sudden, the music stopped. 

**_"Because we can can can..."_ **

The audience choired him.

**_"Because we can can can..."_ **

**_"Ari-ari-ari-ah!"_ **

"Ari-ari-ari-ah!"

**_"Ori-ori-ori-oh!"_ **

"Ori-ori-ori-oh"

The voices of all demons repeating the ad-libs encouraged Charlie and Angel to do the same. Vaggie simply stood right next to her girlfriend, staring wide-eyed at the incredible performance that included the audience. 

The tension in the atmosphere grew fantastically with each exchange, the public going ablaze. No demon was sitting up, they were all singing and dancing. 

**_Everybody can-can!_ **

A long line of choir girls in puffy skirts marched from the sides of the stage, lifting their legs to reveal their garter-belts. The whole place exploded in cheering and screaming. 

This was exactly what Charlie wanted for the hotel. If they could convince them to perform this show, the press would be all over them. Her fiasco could be fixed, perhaps even her parents would attend! 

Believing that her father would be proud of her was too much, but maybe he would be surprised! And her mother... she might be proud! 

Vaggie pulled her from her thoughts with a little bump, she had begun dancing with more enthusiasm when Charlie was distracted. The princess of hell decided to bury her fantasies deep in her mind and joined her girlfriend in dance. 

Her parents could wait, she had Vaggie, and she was proud of her. For Charlie, that was more than enough. 

**_"Itchi gitchi ya ya da da_ **

**_Itchi gitchi ya ya here_ **

**_Mocha-choca-lata ya ya_ **

**_Creole lady marmalade"_ **

For a minute, the dancers dispersed and approached to the demons on the dance floor, pulling them in. Angel tried to drag Husk too, but the Cat demon fled away, and once safe, flipped him off.

The devils joined the dancers, and everyone started bouncing together until a particular danseur made a sign for the other artists. At that, everyone went back to their position. 

The music changed once again. Charlie noticed that the melodies were arranged together to make some sort of mixture. This time, Ascarabee extended his arm towards the best box in the house, all the dancers did the same.

"As always, special thanks to our main patron, the prince of the ring of lust! Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Lord Samael!" 

A man, terrifyingly human-like, stood up. He was dressed in a very elegant black business suit, red, silky hair brushed back, a single golden eye staring into the crowd. His other eye was covered with a black patch. 

His hands were bones, they noticed. But his whole body seemed way too human to be real, too angelic.

"Samael?!" Husk gasped, his head turning towards Alastor. "First Stolas and then Samael?! You brought us to Lucifer's court or something?!"

"An interesting gentleman," Alastor answered, far more interested in the dancers. 

Samael smiled, baring his pronounced fangs, a woman that was standing just by Vaggie's side fainted. 

"Holy shit, hello daddy..." Angel whispered, fluffing his chest.

"The best things in life are free," Samael said, "but you can keep them for the birds and bees."

**_"I got money,"_ ** he sang, " **_that's what I want._ " **

Samael pointed towards Stolas, and even though his other eye was covered, his wink was evident. How did that even work? 

The other prince of hell hugged his imp in a possessive manner and pouted, much to the red demon's disgrace. The skeleton demon seemed to be amused by this. 

**_"Your loving is such a thrill_ **

**_But your love don't pay my bills_ **

**_Money don't get everything it's true_ **

**_What it don't get, I can't use_ **

**_I got money"_ **

He kept singing, moving his bony hands, and making everyone swoon for a few more moments. Despite Vaggie's protests, Angel pushed a few demons that were in front of him to get a better view of the man. 

When he retreated into his box, Ascarabee asked for a round of applause. 

In the backstage, the dancers were peeking through the curtain to watch the demon's performance. Two petite women giggled to each other as the man blew a kiss towards them. 

"What are you doing? Come on! We gotta move!" 

"Oh, just a moment!" 

"Move!" 

The girls pouted, but rushed towards a set of stairs, dipping their heels in a sandbox before running up. A snail pushed a rack of costumes and blocked their way, so they bumped into it and ruined the clothes. 

"Hurry up, it's your fucking turn, you want to be sweeping this floor?! Cuz that's gonna be what you'll do if don't start dancing now!" 

The demons were laughing loudly and singing as they waited for their turn, and even though the director was on everyone's ass, the atmosphere was light. 

They helped each other with clothing, encouraged each other, and laughed together. 

***

"What are you doing? You have to be up right now!"

"Well, this corset just keeps falling apart! How can I perform in this?" 

"Oh, don't play the diva, darling, it doesn't suit you. Shelly! We need a new fucking corset!"

The snail from before rushed (slowly) towards her and fixed her clothes in no time. 

"There, all set. Need help with this, baby?" 

"Yes, dear. I feel like it's my lucky night, make it extra tight" she said, and then, "Prince Samael is here, right? Make me look like I've got no meat on me, that bonny fellow will like it." 

"Oh don't play with that one, baby, he's dangerous." The woman laughed and fixed her hair when her bustier was in place. Then, the snail helped her with a skirt. 

"Dangerous and rich my dear, and you know what they say."

"What?" The snail stood there in confusion after that, tilting his head. "What do they say?" 

***

Outside, the audience was singing along, the dance floor full of monsters having fun. Angel managed to catch Samael's eye and was now making bedroom eyes and blowing kisses to the man, who in return waved a hand and made a rose appear right in the spider's grip. 

"Awww I'm in love!" 

"Don't get near that demon, you stupid slut, if you get on his bad side we are screwed!" 

"Shut up, if you don't trust men that's on you, I'm getting that royal dick tonight and becoming a princess!" Angel snapped back, hugging his rose and blowing another kiss. 

Vaggie growled, "Maldita zorra de mierda, como nos metas en un lío..." 

Charlie was the one who managed to calm her down. 

**_"And now it's time for the breakdance."_ **

Husk was relieved Angel was flirting with someone else, but he was just too tired to deal with this shitshow one more minute. He trapped Charlie's arms in his paws and forced her to pay attention. 

"Listen, doll, you gonna talk to Ascarabee, or not? Cuz if you won't, then I'm outta here." 

The blond girl opened her mouth to answer, but the grand finale distracted her quickly. All the dancers were now on the stage, and the desire to watch had her hooping in her place. 

"It's almost done, just one more minute, please!" She begged. 

Husk rolled his eyes and rubbed his face, but for some reason finally obliged and stood by her side with arms crossed. He didn't bother to hide his annoyance. 

**_This is where all your dreams come true_ **

**_You are in La Rue Macabre!_ **

Out of curiosity, Vaggie turned her head towards Alastor, just to make sure he was still there and not causing trouble anywhere else. The Radio demon was looking around with his usual smile, but his eyes seemed distracted as if looking for something. 

He was into it but... not quite. The dancers appeared on the stage and started bowing, and he gave too much attention to each one of them. Of course, Vaggie suspected him immediately, maybe he was just hunting, selecting victims, or something worse. 

The moment the music stopped and the public began cheering, Husk pulled Charlie by her wrist. "Ok, done, let's get moving." The cat attempted to drag the blonde girl directly towards the backstage, but he bumped into Alastor's microphone-ended cane. 

"Not yet, my grumpy fellow, there's still more!" 

"More?! You want to watch more?!" 

The music was gone, everyone was back to their drinks and their conversation, and he still wanted to wait? Oh, Husk was ready to kill this asshole. 

Suddenly, the lights were off again, and this time, _[Ascarabee was alone in the stage.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvX7c-YhUg)_ He took off his hat, anthems twitching as he bowed. When he stood up, he pointed towards the audience in a recognizing gesture. 

The audience clapped, but their cheers were more controlled than before. 

"Ladies and gentlemen! Demons and monsters! sinners and criminals! please give a huge round of applause for our sparkling diamond, our black widow, the ferocious, the unique, the marvelous siren of hell… Satine."

Instead of cheering, the place fell in absolute silence. Everyone looked up, some even standing from their sits, as if trying to get closer to the ceiling. 

A gentle melody started playing while a hidden roof panel opened, releasing a magical rain of glitter onto the audience. Within the shimmer, there was a woman. 

**_“Diamonds are forever”_ **she sang, her voice was a true siren’s call.

Charlie’s eyes gleamed in wonder as the woman descended from the ceiling, her legs elegantly twined with two silky ropes, her body curving gracefully, almost floating. 

Looking around, Vaggie noticed all eyes were on her, on the elegance of her body language, the gentle waves of her muscles as she moved and curved like a swan. Some people whispered, but no one dared to make a loud noise. 

Charlie couldn't help but feel absolute admiration for her clean voice, a tone ever so sweet, yet deep and confident. Too pure, too beautiful.

**_“Diamonds are forever. Hold one up and then caress it...”_ **

Meanwhile, Angel Dust had his eyes on the marvelous bustier she was wearing, a dress that embraced her body in a thousand diamonds, the skirt falling way too low. It was longer than her legs, he remarked mentally. 

Her arms were covered in long velvety gloves, fingers covered in diamond rings.

“I wanna wear that…” he whispered, too dumbfounded to manage anything else. 

As she reached the floor, one of her legs untwined from the silk, making her rotate until she wasn’t floating horizontally but instead descending vertically. The demons at the dance floor took a few steps back to make room, and suddenly she was on the floor. 

But not for long. 

The music changed, and she climbed the silky threads again, letting them squeeze around her legs, thighs, and waist until she was high up once more. 

Then she let herself fall, swinging horizontally in the air as the silks detangled from her waist. In a second, she was back on the dance floor, the long skirt gone to reveal a tight dress covered in rhinestones and gleaming crystals. 

**_“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend...”_ **

The illumination changed too, and the room regained all light as she danced amid the crowd. Her voice was clear even though people were singing along, others cheering. Many men were simply throwing disgusting phrases around and catcalling her. 

**_"Men grow cold as girls grow old, and we all lose our charms in the end..."_ **

A group of men lifted her in their arms and passed her body around until she reached the stage. There, a group of choir girls was already dancing. They extended their arms to help the woman onto the platform, and the music changed anew, becoming funkier and pop-like. The group of choir girls moved their hips to the rhythm of the new song. 

**_"Cuz' we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl."_ **

It changed again. Charlie's smile was almost splitting her face, her hands squeezing Vaggies arms in a violent attempt to hold her excitement. Angel was already singing along and dancing seductively, winking at the powerful demon that still sat in the best box of the house. 

Even Husk was looking at the number with his mouth and eyes wide open, no longer frowning. 

Alastor was observing the whole scene with a strange grin, but Charlie assumed he was too into it. This was his industry, after all! The masses singing and moving together like a sea of flesh and sweat, hands flying in the air, and the magnificent put-on-scene he was witnessing. 

But his eyes were fixed on the woman, radio dials appearing from time to time. Maybe he was just really into it. 

Suddenly, Satine was not on the stage but dancing towards them. She reached directly for Husk and pulled him by the neck of the dress shirt Alastor had given him at the hotel. 

**_"If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it!"_ **

"WOAH, WOAH LADY, EASY, I-"

She forced him to dance, even if Husk was simply staring at her and mumbling excuses to be left alone. Her presence was astounding, he couldn't cope with this now. He needed to have a few drinks on, or maybe some real cash to brag about. He was usually good with women, but this one? Oh, he was afraid of this one's confidence, and all she did was sing and climb a couple of silks. 

After a minute, she left him alone and went back to the crowd. The music changed again and the master of ceremonies danced around the woman along with a group of demons. Again, she was lifted in the air. Many demons began pushing expensive-looking jewels towards her, and she happily snatched them from their hands to try them on. 

**_Tiffany's!_ **

A necklace

**_Cartier!_ **

A bracelet

**_Black Starr!_ **

Another necklace

**_Frost Gorham!_ **

Samael threw a giant diamond ring from the comfort of his seat, and Satine caught it flawlessly. 

**_Talk to me Harry Winston, and tell me all about it!_ **

The crowd moved her around, making sure she rotated to greet everyone until she was face to face with Angel Dust. She was going to pull him in to dance, but her movements came to a halt, the music stopped. 

Her eyes were staring into the crowd, her expression stuck on something akin to panic. Her face paled, the music distorted and the presenter seemed confused by the sudden change as if this wasn't planned. Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't sing. 

Worried, a choir girl tried to call her name. Then, the other choir girls were back. She began dancing with them and singing again, smiling. Everyone went back to cheering as if nothing happened. 

The mob lifted, tossed, and passed her around until she kicked a man (probably some powerful overlord) right in the nose so he would let go of her foot. 

"This is amazing, look at the crowd! If she sings, I bet all these demons will want to come to the party! And if they come, some other demons will come too!" Charlie turned to Alastor, trying to talk over the loud music. 

He was her business partner, so it was natural she'd want to share her ideas with him. 

**_"He's your guy_ **

**_When stocks are high_ **

**_But beware when they start to descend!"_ **

The Radio Demon didn't pay attention, he was smiling like a madman, mouth so long it was splitting his face in two, eyes open wide and static loud enough to be heard even over the music. 

The whole stage was transforming before his eyes, demons moving props and arranging a whole new set just so Satine could slide her supple body into a gigantic wine cup full of diamonds, and deliver her grand finale. 

**_"Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"_ **

The audience roared after her song, cheering and yelling in approval. Charlie was hooping in her place, "THIS IS AMAZING!" She claimed over and over again. Vaggie was relaxed, eye lovingly fixated on Charlie's moving frame. 

Husk was already in a sour mood, but the forced dancing and the noise (along with the lack of alcohol), had worsened things up for him. 

The cat demon turned away from the couple and searched for Alastor so they could meet the fucking owner. He inspected the surroundings even in the intermittent lighting but didn't see a single red hair. 

Alastor was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELL-O it's me THE PORN LADY with some clarifications. As I said in my previous notes, this is heavily inspired in Moulin Rouge, so La Rue Macabre is also some sort of cabaret, but no because they actually have shows, theater, magic and stuff like that, is kinda like a cabaret-circus-nightclub. 
> 
> Finally, the MC appears! As I said in the previous chapter, she's gonna go by the name "Satine" to make things easier, but this is a nickname. Her real name remains ambiguous so you can fill it with your own or your OC's name. I'll try to remain as ambiguous as I can when it comes to her appearance, but I will make her slightly taller than Alastor because I keep seeing Reader inserts where the reader is a little cute small thing and, while I love height difference, I need her to be taller because of reasons. 
> 
> It's not a lot, they're practically the same height, but she's gonna have maybe half an inch of advantage. 
> 
> I made a Spotify playlist! I will update the playlist each chapter, probably before I release the actual chapter because I write in real-time with the music, I really try to measure the tempo to my reading speed so It fits, but it always depends. So anyway, it kinda counts like having spoilers for the next chapters? Idk, if you'd like to have a link, you can just leave me a comment or hit me up on Tumblr, I'm neverholygrail. 
> 
> Comments are highly appreciated! I really love knowing what y'all think, and I just like to scream about this fanfic in general, so do send some! 
> 
> Until next time!


	3. Do you ever feel...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satine meets Alastor, and things get weird.  
> But she also meets Angel Dust, and things get weirder, but in a good way. 
> 
> Husk is done.

"What the fuck was that?!" 

Satine ran into her changing room right after her number finished. The director followed her. If her star was hyperventilating, then he needed to know why. 

The woman supported herself in the vanity, breath labored and eyes teary as she tried to get a hold of herself. 

"Satine, what's wrong? You were acting like a fucking goddess, and suddenly... What's wrong?" 

"I-... "

"You didn't do any drugs before your song, right?" Satine slumped into her chair, her legs felt too weak to support her weight. She rubbed her eyes and fixed her hair, then tried to unlace the corset. 

"It's nothing, I just... This corset is so tight, I can't breath." The director hurried to her and unlaced the bustier, allowing the air to flow into Satine's dead lungs. It wasn't like they needed to breathe, but the automatic reflex persisted and being unable to do it caused high levels of anxiety on most demons. 

"Thank you, darling." The director acknowledged her with a nod and then kneeled right next to her. He had really long limbs, so being on his knees placed his head almost level with Satine's. This was saying something since Satine herself was tall. 

"So, no drugs happened?" 

"My last time was enough to teach me a lesson, and it's been a couple years from that, no drugs, Santino." 

"Well, then what's wrong?" 

Satine sighed, her breath more tranquil as the director caressed her covered knee. The woman pressed her hand over his. "It's nothing, sugar. I'm tired, out of breath, and I felt overwhelmed." She lied. 

"Will you be ok to perform your next number?" 

The woman took a deep breath, urging her limbs to relax. Her heart was pounding furiously, a knot tensing violently at the bottom of her guts. 

"The show must go on." 

Santino nodded and stood up, kissing the back of her hand before making his way to the door. "Imma' try to get you a few minutes, baby, so rest a little." 

"Thank you." The woman sighed and allowed her body to sink even further into her vanity chair, eyes looking up as she tried to control her breath. 

Tears lingered in her eyes, but she resisted them and decided to start preparing for the next song. 

The clothes she wore for "Diamond's are a girl's best friend" were all sweaty, so Satine tossed them in a laundry basket. Her underwear wasn't fashionable, she had to focus on support, so it was a simple set of shapewear. 

Putting on a lace robe to cover her body, she allowed the air conditioner to refresh her nape and back. Once free of sweat, she proceeded to dust a generous amount of talc over her neck and chest, and then took the brush to fix her hair. 

She couldn't help but stare behind her back through the mirror as if someone would appear there any minute. 

The sound of the door opening frightened her. She pulled the lace robe tighter around her body, covering up her lingerie, and turned her head with a panicked expression. 

She recognized the intruder immediately, even though it was the first time she saw him in hell. 

"Death has made you less of a gentleman, don't you know is improper to visit a lady's room without an invitation?" She attempted to sound calm despite the obvious tremors of her hand around the brush.

"So you know who I am," Alastor asked, back pressed against the exquisite wooden door. His microphone was resting casually on the crook of his elbow. 

"You just confirmed it," Satine said, slightly defensive. She turned around along with her vanity chair, legs crossed. She was wearing soft stockings up to her thigh, and a garter belt. Alastor noticed. 

The minute she realized his eyes were there, she pulled the robe lower. "Though I must say, Alastor, you are a singular fellow, and I ain't no dumb Dora. I knew it was you the moment I saw you. There's been a lot of talk about the Radio Demon, after all."

"Yes, I've made myself quite the name down here, my dear, but so have you, right? The Prima Donna of La Rue Macabre, and you even go by the nickname of the wonderful Parysia."

"Fits me just well, don't you think?"

"You always strived for the spotlight. Despite the different name, I suspected you were here the minute I heard about the place and its sparkling diamond. I confirmed it today." 

Alastor started walking around the room, and Satine tensed up in consequence. She made sure to keep an eye on him at all times. "Not that I was curious, after the last time I saw you, a lot of things happened. Now I'm a new man, my dear! You wouldn't believe just how famous I became!" 

"Yes, I heard about that."

"That's odd. As I recall, your suicide was during the great depression, and my first kill was after that. Maybe it was only your great depression? Quite the fitting end for you, haha!" Satine's face twisted in a disgusted expression. 

"I've heard 1929 is your favorite year." She spat, getting on her feet, robe held tightly in her hands. "Is it because that was the year I decided to swallow a bullet? Or were you sad because you weren't the one who got to kill me?" At that, the Radio Demon burst into laughter, the static around him transforming into a choir of laughing voices to accompany him. 

"Ah! You and your delusions of greatness. Always thinking that the world revolves around you. No, darling, it's because the society was suffering! Orphans everywhere! Weeping mothers struggling to feed their families and men losing the savings of a life, in the span of one night!" He reached for her wrist, but with a slap, she shooed him away. Lucky for her, Alastor didn't insist. "No, sweetheart. By 1929 I was too busy to even recall what your real name was," he finished with a cruel grin. 

Despite the coldness of his tone and the intensity of his gaze, Satine relaxed visibly. She sighed and turned towards her vanity to resume her beauty routine. 

"I felt guilty, you know? It's quite the childish and selfish thought, but for many years my mind was convinced that you became like this because of me..." She dropped her brush once again, looking over her shoulder to grant a smile. "I'm glad you forgot. You always came across as an educated man, I should have known better." 

Alastor didn't answer, his face was permanently fixed into a smile. Still, the static was growing louder and louder. 

Satine stood up again and finally removed her robe, finding a new bustier to wear. 

"Now, darling, would you be a treat and help me with this? Since there are no hard feelings." She slid easily into the clothing and turned her back toward Alastor. As any proper gentleman, he walked nearer and began fastening the soft laces to secure the bustier. 

Soon, Satine felt that the corset was properly closed, and attempted to walk away, but a fast arm around her neck prevented her from doing so. 

Alastor reached around to grip at her throat hard enough to asphyxiate her. She tried to shove him away, kicking back and pushing on his wrist. His hands were shaking, and she knew he could separate her head from her torso just by pulling a little. 

"What you did was nothing, you didn't turn me into a monster, I was already a monster," he whispered, his voice buried in static, tone an octave deeper. "You are nothing, you don't deserve my time." 

When he finished talking, she managed to escape and grab a pair of scissors, a weak weapon against such a powerful demon. However, he was gone. 

***

"Ah, fucking shit." Vaggie turned her head towards Husk when she heard him curse, and lifted a brow, confused. "The fucking bastard is gone!" 

"What's wrong?" The moth demon looked around, and soon noticed the problem, "Where's Alastor?" 

"Yeah, that's what I want to know! Bastard drags us to this shithole and then leaves? That's it, I'm outta here. See you never." 

Charlie hurried to catch Husk's arm before he could get away, and clung violently to him. "Wait, wait, wait! Let's go find the owner and talk to him. Fifteen more minutes, and then you're free to go! Please, Husk, we need you." 

The cat demon rolled his eyes and rubbed his face with his free hand, his patience way too thin for this. Why was he here to begin with? A long growl left his mouth, but again he allowed Charlie to retain him. "Fucking hell- Alright, damn it! But when this is over I'm outta here!" 

Charlie smiled gratefully and reached for Vaggie. Then, she turned around to call Angel. 

"Wait. Where is Angel?" Asked the blond. Vaggie turned around too, looking for the spider. He was ridiculously tall, so losing him in the crowd was hard. Still, there was no sign of Angel. 

"Where the hell is Angel?! Is he with Alastor?! Where are those two!?" Vaggie repeated and frantically looked around, trying to find the spider. Suddenly the lights went out, and the spotlight hit the stage. The moth demon gasped. 

"Oh, shit!" 

***

**_["Do you ever feel, feel so paper-thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?" ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn0eUpL9WGM) _ ** Forty minutes passed and Satine still sat in her boudoir, fingers gripping the pair of scissors. She was only wearing the new bustier and her garter-belt over her underwear. 

She was crying, her makeup ruined. Under her eyes, the dirty stain of smudged mascara was already drying. She didn't know why she was singing, especially this song that was so foreign to her. 

When Santino arrived three years ago, he brought a lot of funky new music. They were working on a number with this song, but Satine didn't like it. Some jazz, or maybe a swing, suited her taste better. 

However, right now the lyrics were just what she needed to calm down. 

The acoustic in her changing room did wonders for her voice, so she allowed herself to sing louder as the song reached its peak. The echo singing back to her carried a strange comfort. 

When Satine was supposed to sing the main verses, she stuttered, unable to remember them. 

So she started again. 

**_"You don't have to feel like a waste of space. You're an original, cannot be replaced."_ **

Satine sighed and threw the scissors violently. She wouldn't allow that man to bring her down all over again, especially after so long. 

Quickly, the woman slipped into her new skirt and hurried to fix her makeup, wiping off the black stains under her eyes. The loud music outside augured a royal headache after all the crying, but she was a professional. She would perform. 

In her mind, she repeated the choir of the song as soon as she remembered. She found the comparisons silly, but modern music liked to use strange literary figures. 

**_"You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night, like the Fourth of July."_ **

She applied more rouge on purpose because her complexion was paler due to the fright. The idea of making her breasts look plumper or wearing the skirt in a revealing way was soon discarded. Satine knew better, and that man paid no attention to such flairs. She could only pretend to be unaffected. 

Lucky for her, she was a professional liar. 

**_"Baby, you're a firework_ **

**_Come on let your colors burst_ **

**_Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh!'_ **

**_You're gonna leave 'em going 'Oh, oh, oh'"_ **

She put on her shoes once again and strode towards the stage with confidence while singing in her mind. She would not allow this man to ruin her performance.

"Just five more minutes, Chaya, she's..." Santino was trying to buy more time for her right by the stage, so when Satine arrived, he gasped in relief. "She's right fucking here!" 

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, I was having one of those days," she lied, "but I'm fine." 

"Ok, hurry up, come on, upstairs, you're forty minutes late." The DJ started to arrange the music transition to play her song when the lights turned off on their own. Santino gasped again. 

"What the hell is going on, Chaya?!" 

"I don't know, man, I was just... Wait, who the fuck is that?" 

*** 

"How did he climb up there?" Asked Husk, a brow lifted as he crossed his arms. 

Charlie and Vaggie ignored his words. Actually, they didn't even notice the moment he opened his mouth to speak. They were too busy dealing with the current situation. 

In the stage, Angel stood proud, jacket opened to reveal his fluffy chest. His dress shirt was gone, but not his slacks, nor his hat. _[The crowd fell silent, many demons seemed equally confused as an electronic tune filled the house.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTLAZunyA38)_

But no, Vaggie wasn't confused, she was ready to kill this asshole. 

**_"Till death do us part, but we're already past that phase."_ **

Angel's singing voice was surprisingly good. His voice was recognizable, but he hit the right tones, and his words were clear. The crowd seemed to like it, and everyone paid close attention to his performance, he was a famous figure in hell, after all. 

Samael himself was leaning over the railing of his balcony, staring with a smirk. He seemed to like Angel, and the spider noticed because he was staring directly at the demon. 

He winked, and Samael licked his lips in response, eyeing him head to toe and back. 

**_"This is the mantra, this is my life you're playing with now till the end of the night."_ **

Angel was used to pole-dancing, but his improvisation skills were excellent. He was sure good ol' fashioned dancing would work just fine. 

The spider played with the border of his jacket, rolling his head and pulling his hat low enough to cover his eyes. Then he got down on one knee to put his hat on a spectator. 

**_"I'm addicted to the madness, this hotel is my Atlantis. We're forever gonna have a fucking reason to sin. Let me leave my soul to burn, and I'll be breathing it in."_ **

"WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT IDIOT DOING?!" Vaggie and Charlie were already hurrying towards the stage, trying not to bump into demons because these people were dangerous overlords. They had to be careful. 

"Calm down, Vaggie, calm down," Charlie repeated those words like a mantra, but despite trying to be comprehensive, she was also ready to punch the spider right in the dick. 

The music was different from what the house usually played, so the older demons were not very amused. However, the vast majority was dancing. Charlie noticed Stolas standing out of his box and dragging his imp to the dancefloor. 

Still, it didn't matter because this place was a mysterious underground club, and they didn't know the consequences of ruining their show. As much as Charlie prided herself on her power, a fight was off-limits. 

"Fuck, we're in trouble," Vaggie declared all of a sudden and stopped running. Charlie did the same and glanced towards the stage. 

Satine was there, in a new outfit and seemingly ready to perform. Charlie gasped too, they didn't know if that woman was conflictive or not, or how strong she was. For all they knew, she could be ready to take on the spider for ruining her act. 

They didn't expect her to open her mouth and sing too.

**_"Yeah, you fell in love, but you fell deeper in this pit while death rains from above. So count your blessings cuz this is it."_ **

Angel was as surprised as everyone else, but soon he grinned and extended a hand towards the woman. She took his hand, and he pulled.

And just like that, they were dancing. 

Everyone cheered as the star of the house twirled and jumped around the stage with Angel Dust. He made her spin around, then held her while she leaned back until her spine was fully arched. 

**_"You want it, I got it, see what you like? We could have it all by the end of the night."_ **

Satine let herself fall to the ground slowly, legs opening in a split as her hands caressed down Angel's fluffy chest, fingers lost in the fur. At the same time, Angel leveraged her fall by pressing her body against his own, hands caressing her stomach, up to her chest. He even cupped her boobs to make them look better. 

Only fair, if she touched his boobs, then he could feel her up too.

A loud noise sounded under the music, and a cloud of smoke covered the stage while they sang together. When it dispersed, there was a pole on the platform. 

Where did that come from?! What was going on?! Was this planned?! Charlie felt like screaming. Vaggie wasn't in a better mood. 

Angel was curled around the pole in a complicated position, back arched and head thrown back as his legs supported his weight. And Satine's weight too. The woman was holding one of Angel's hands, suspended in the air, and tensing her legs to hold the position. She seemed way tenser than he did, and he was the one holding them both up. 

He used one set of hands to hold her waist and let her down. Then, Angel climbed again and performed an upside-down position that allowed him to hold hands with the woman. By then, Satine could only remain on the floor while Angel took the spotlight on the pole. 

He was good. 

**_I'm addicted to the feeling_ **

**_Getting higher than the ceiling_ **

**_And we're never gonna want this fucking feeling to end_ **

**_Just concede and give in to your inner demons again_ **

They sang together the last verses of the song, and when it ended, Angel got down from the pole and bowed to the public. 

Satine did the same, then signaled to Angel with both arms, and he bowed again. When the spider got up, he blew a kiss towards Samael and walked to the side of the stage. 

"What the fuck happened? Who are you?!" Santino arrived in a rush, trying to understand just what had happened. Chaya, the audio engineer, approached too. 

"Dude, that's Angel Dust!" He chirped, excited. "Bro, I love your videos." Angel made a face. 

"Ew, don't call me bro. Every time someone does that, I feel attacked." 

Satine laughed but hugged Angel's waist nonetheless. Angel had an arm around her shoulders. "Well, well, well, Angel Dust, I must say, that was one nice shimmy you gave me back there. I'm sweating like a sinner in church." 

"Same here, sugar tits, almost got a boner, and I'm not even into girls!" 

"Well, that's too bad, honey. But Santino here might need some stress relief after all that jam. He needs a good butting... got a deck of luckies?" She laughed. 

Santino made a face, completely lost. He knew there was a dirty joke involving butts somewhere, he just didn't know where. 

"Come, darling, let me buy you a drink. I insist. I gotta convince you to teach me that dancing technique on the pole." He wasn't able to ask because Satine dragged the spider right to the bar immediately. 

"Aw, shit, there are some people who want to talk to the owner," he recalled, and Satine turned to him, hand in her hip. 

"Bee is gonna be a little bit jumpy right now, but if you wanna talk business, I'm all ears." 

***

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Husk shouted over the loud music, Alastor got himself lost somewhere for a whole half an hour, and the cat's head already hurt from how loud the music was. His ears were sensitive, after all.

The princess and her girlfriend were lost too, and Husk didn't know what made him stay. He could have left this fucking place already. 

Alastor didn't stop on his confident strides and dragged Husk with him, squeezing his shoulders with an arm. His smile seemed way too big, and the static was loud enough to be heard over the music. 

"I was just greeting an old friend of mine! Now, let's find the owner and talk business, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELL-O it's me THE PORN LADY with some clarifications. As I said in my previous notes, this is heavily inspired in Moulin Rouge, so La Rue Macabre is also some sort of cabaret, but no because they actually have shows, theater, magic and stuff like that, is kinda like a cabaret-circus-nightclub. 
> 
> I was so excited for this chapter that I couldn't wait to post it, so here's another chapter way earlier than expected! It's actually 3am and I'm afraid of ghosts but oh, what the hell. 
> 
> Finally, the first interaction between Satine and Alastor! What are your theories? I'd like to know if I'm being obvious because this is supposed to be kinda like a mystery lol. I attempted to use some 1920's slang here, but English is not my first language, let alone 1920's English, so if you see anything weird please tell me. 
> 
> Also, I made a Spotify playlist with the songs I post here. I'm adding them as I advance but it's gonna be one good source of spoilers because I add songs before I post the chapter. If you're interested,[" you can find it right here! ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0etcpkotgWVWteIvw2bZOb?si=GBaGfeCBTLq63yIUFEz6sg)
> 
> Another note: There's three Moulin Rouge films, The very first was released in 1928 and it was a total hit. The protagonist was Parysia, a dancer and bohemian woman. She stars a melodrama involving her daughter and her daughter's lover. In 1952 another Moulin Rouge movie was released, and the protagonist was Jane Avril, a famous dancer that got involved with the club's most famous impressionist artist and pretended to love him just for money. Satine is the protagonist of the 2001 movie, the dancing girl that falls in love with the bohemian but has to reject him for money. The movies have nothing to do with each other, but this Satine it's been inspired by all of the Moulin Rouge's stars. 
> 
> When Alastor refers to "the nickname of Parysia" he's referring to Satine's nickname. In this world, I'm going to pretend that Parysia was also known as Satine because of reasons I'll explain later. 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated, they get me excited and fuzzy and fill me with energy to write! <3


	4. Mercy on my soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is set, La Rue Macabre will perform at the Happy Hotel. 
> 
> Alastor is definitely not happy about this.

"Angel!" Charlie appeared amid the crow, yelling as loud as possible to reach the spider. The loud music wasn't helping, and Angel didn't notice the girls coming until Vaggie tackled him. 

"UGH!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" the white-haired demon shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders. Charlie arrived after a minute, panting from running around too much. 

Angel shoved the woman away and stood, fixing his outfit with a scowl. Almost immediately, Satine joined and dusted a bit of dirt off his shoulder-pad. Just then, the girls realized the star of the house was there. 

"Ow. Ummm... Sorry about that. And for messing up the show and stuff." 

Once Angel was flawless again, he blew a kiss towards the woman, and she lifted her shoulder in response. The spider grinned, his characteristical golden tooth shining. "Ok, listen bitches, lemme introduce you to my new friend here." He used one set of arms to signal Satine's proud frame. She wagged her fingers. "This is... uh... Listen, don't take this badly, but I don't remember your name, toots." 

The woman in the black bustier made an exaggerated face, as if deeply offended, and then elbowed Angel's side softly, whimpering. "Just another man that gives me the swing of my life and then forgets my name, I thought you were different." 

Angel smirked, hand on his hip. "Yeah, baby. You see, I might be gay, but I'm still a dude. We're all trash." 

Satine laughed loudly, then proceeded to extend her hand towards Charlie. "Satine, beautiful, at your service." 

"It's wonderful to meet you! My name is Charlie, and this is Vaggie! I'm-..." 

"You don't have to do that, deary, I know who you are. Are you inviting sinners to see who's gonna be redeemed first? Because you're in the right place. Let me share something my mamma used to tell me. You might walk all day long looking for a snake, and you might find one, or two, or three, or none. But throw yourself into a snake's nest, and you can bet you gonna find snakes there. There are a lot of snakes here." 

The blond woman accepted her hand with a smile but didn't hide her confusion. By her side, Vaggie didn't mask it either. 

"How do you know about the hotel?" Satine lifted a brow, suddenly confused, but soon smiled again and shook Vaggie's hand.

"Well, my child, it would be difficult not to know after your incredible scandal at the news station. A wonderful performance, truly, bravo." She snapped her fingers around, in the way ballroom and vogue dancers did to applaud. Charlie blushed heavily and covered her face with both hands. 

Of course, she would know about that, there was no demon in hell that didn't know. 

Satine was quick to soothe her shame, reaching for one of the princess's wrists. "Oh, honey, don't be like that. It was delightful, and that project of yours has a lot of heart. Don't let Katie Killjoy insult what you're doing. Besides, that woman is a harlot and deserved to be punched." 

Angel laughed, choking on his fruity cocktail. 

Charlie forced a smile, not quite sure she actually felt any better but determined to do what she came here to do. 

"Well, yeah. Anyways, now we have to convince the news channel to let me announce the hotel again, and for that, we're planning a party!" Charlie piped, moving her arms excitedly. "This has to be the biggest event ever, so big they won't have a choice but to come!" 

Vaggie took one of the elegant seats near the bar, her hair falling over one shoulder. "Do you think you could perform something like this? Someone told us this place was famous among powerful overlords, and if the show comes to the party, they might come too. And if powerful overlords crowd the event, other demons might want to take a look, even just out of curiosity." 

"We can perform together!" Angel declared, finger guns already pointing towards the woman. Satine hummed, a hand resting on her chin as she ruminated the idea. 

"I could help you in my free time, but I can't speak for the club. If you want this production to happen somewhere else, then you have to hire all the dancers, the director, the backstage workers, the music engineers, and on and on. " 

"The money isn't a problem, I can pay!" Said Charlie. Vaggie raised her hands as if asking her to wait. 

"Even if the money isn't a problem, how long will it take to organize the event? Because, while it's a good idea to simply perform this show, most overlords won't bother with something they already saw, especially if they have to rub shoulders with sinners." 

"If you want to create a new show, it's going to take a lot of time." Satine took a sip of her mimosa before adding, "it's better if you discuss it with Bee. I'm the star, but I'm also another employee." 

***

"What in the nine circles are you doing here?! You're not supposed to be here!" Husk rubbed his face, tired. Ascarabee was still dressed in his showman attire, but the cat could see his antenna twitching with the shook and the anger. 

"I was dragged, ok? Shut up and listen. I need a fucking favor, and before you ask, no, it's not going to clear your debt. I'm still drinking for free at your other bars. We're going to pay you actual money for this." 

The cockroach froze in his place. He had been calling security, but the mention of money made his antenna twitch again. He turned around and eyed husk, then he noticed Alastor. 

He panicked. 

"The Radio Demon! Welcome, sir, you never answered our invitation, we weren't prepared!" Quickly, Ascarabee ordered his demons to prepare a box for Alastor. However, the Radio Demon dismissed his efforts with a wave of his microphone. 

"Don't bother, my friend. We'll be leaving as soon as possible. See, I'm involved in a new charity project, and my business partner entrusted me with the task of overlooking the entertainment!" Alastor spread his arms in a grand gesture, "we'd like to borrow your show for one night! All of it!" 

Ascarabee paused, confused. His left antenna twitched, and his thin arms rubbed against each other. "All of it, my lord? I'm afraid that's not possible, this is a highly exclusive show. If any sinner gets access, how do I justify my prices for the rest of the season?" 

"What about your old shows?" Husk had to raise his voice to speak over the music. "Just perform one of them." 

The cockroach seemed to consider the idea. "Do I get to set the price?" 

***

"Don't worry about the price. I can pay your salaries while we prepare, but we can't wait long to host the party." Satine was analyzing Charlie's words carefully, almost tempted to say yes right away. 

If she was honest, Ascarabee would probably say yes the moment he was offered money. His gambling had La Rue almost on bankruptcy, and Samael's patronage was the only thing holding them up. 

But there was a chance he'd say no... 

"Why don't you mix songs you've done before, and we work on one new song? We'd have a nice show and something to hook the shitlords." Charlie launched herself to Angel, grabbing him by the cheeks and smiling madly. "HEY, LET GO!" 

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!"

Satine was also smiling, the princess's energy was contagious. "Alright, alright. I can't promise anything, but I'll speak with Bee about it. We have to tell him the duration of this project, revenue, and those details. If I work with you every day, we can have this set in three weeks, a month at most." Charlie nodded, bouncing on her place. Vaggie was visibly relaxed, eye lovingly fixated on the blond. "However, sugar, that means La Rue won't open for one month. We can use this as publicity too, but the cost is going to be high." 

"Don't worry about the payment!"

*** 

"I need time to think about this, Husker. It's not so simple." Ascarabee pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the sweat, he was nervous at Alastor's intimidating presence.

"What time? It's quite a simple matter. Just say yes, and we'll be on our way!" Alastor pointed towards the roach with the sharp side of his cane, and the insect jumped. 

"I-..." 

"If it would satisfy you, we could forget about your debt with Husker," Alastor said. The cat demon protested immediately, but Alastor's strong hold around his shoulders silenced him for a moment. However, the cat escaped and pointed to the Radio Demon. 

"I'm not giving up free drinking, asshole, want to fight to the death? I don't give a fuck! Fucking try me!" 

Ascarabee excused himself as soon as Husker began yelling, and ran into the crowd to avoid being caught by the Radio Demon. Alastor allowed it, only because he knew he could find him anytime. 

And Husker was being so entertaining.

***

"We're in trouble, come, come!" Ascarabee reached the bar and dragged Satine right away, ignoring her companions. With small cockroach steps, he ran to the backstage and hid inside the woman's boudoir. 

"What in the nine circles is going on?" Satine protested, fixing her clothes while Ascarabee peeked through a creak in the door. 

"We're in trouble, my debts finally caught me and-"

"Oh, no, Bee, you didn't bet again, did you?" 

"No! I mean, yes, but not now! Listen, little chicken, I placed a bet a while ago, but when I lost, I managed to buy the guy with alcohol. But now he's here, and he wants to borrow the show for one night! What will we do!? And if I say no, they will-..." Satine sighed in relief, long arms going to grab the roach's sides. 

"That's not so bad. Actually, we might be on the same thing here." The woman looked for her robe while Ascarabee caught his breath. "For a party, right? Maybe you bumped into someone who is working with Charlie, Lilith's child." 

"You know about this?" The insect's antenna twitched as Satine hummed. 

"Yes, and now you can't be mad at me for letting Angel Dust climb the stage," she assured, then continued with a confident tone. "After the song, I took him to the bar, he's taller than me, and he knows how to dance, you know?" 

"Wasn't he a gay porn star?" 

"Jesus Christ, man, I said dance," Ascarabee growled under his breath and gestured her to hurry up. "In the bar, I bumped into the princess. She's planning a party to re-launch her hotel, we saw that on the TV this morning, remember? They came here to ask us if we could perform, and I said I would ask you." The cockroach tried to speak before she could finish her phrase, but Satine's hand in front of his face prevented it. "They told exactly the same thing about borrowing the show, so it's most likely for the same reason."

When she was done, the man finally spoke. "That's madness! What will we tell the clients? They're irrational! We tried to produce Romeo and Juliet once, and Stolas said it was too sad!" 

"It was sad, Bee."

"It was a TRAGEDY!" Satine stuttered, trying to find the right words. 

"Well, I-... We can use this as publicity! Angel had a magnificent idea, listen to me..." 

"Ah, Satine, my child, you are over a century old, how can you be so naive?! Publicity!? if I wanted publicity, I would do it, but we're supposed to be exclusive!" 

"Listen to me! We can produce one song. We can arrange a show with our bests performances, and produce a brand new number! Clients will be eager to attend, and perhaps we can catch Lucifer's attention!" Ascarabee paused his breakdown, looking towards the woman with a considering expression. That was a good idea. 

"How long is that going to take?" 

"Three weeks. A month if we are slow, but you know our team. We're good. Besides, the princess said money is not a problem, she will pay all of our salaries while the production is ongoing. If we get on her good side, she may become a sponsor, and we forget about tiptoeing around what Samael likes or hates. And pausing everything for a month will make the clients interested in our comeback!"

Ascarabee's soul flew right back into his body, and he rushed to grab Satine's hands, pulling her around. "My child, you're a genius! We can save this place from bankruptcy and get on the princess's best graces!" 

Satine laughed, hugging the giant cockroach. His energy was contagious too. "Good, I could use a rest from that bony fella's insistent stare." 

"Now listen, you need to become best friends with the princess, and make sure the Radio Demon gets hooked too. We can kill two birds with one stone here, so play your cards carefully. I don't think it's known whether he likes women or-"

"What does that man have to do with any of this?" Ascarabee closed his mouth at Satine's abruptly serious tone. His left antenna twitched.

"When Husker came to me with the idea of the performance, he was there. He was insisting on hiring the show. I figured it would be a lot of trouble but, since he's such a powerful overlord, I was also afraid of the consequences of telling him no. Now we don't have to worry about any of that, he's most likely working with the princess!" 

"You didn't tell me the radio demon was involved, Ascarabee." The roach stuttered, trying to find the right words to fix whatever thing he said wrong. 

"You didn't let me, chickpea! I was going to tell you, but you started talking and solved everything!" 

The woman stared at him, face tense. Finally, she turned towards the door. 

"I'll have to tell Charlie it's not going to work. I'm sorry for lifting your spirits." Suddenly, she was dropping her robe and walking through the door, strides so long the roach had to run to catch her. 

"Wait, wait, what do you mean?! This is an amazing idea, and it was your idea, little chicken!" She only came to a halt when Ascarabee climbed her leg, trying as hard as he could to stop her. "We need this, this is a great opportunity! You could even say no whenever Samael asks to dine with you in private!" 

"And have him burn the place down? Right, he's already done that once. This isn't even about money, so it's useless. Let go of my leg, Bee, have some decency." She tried shaking her leg, but the insect wouldn't let go. 

"Have a cool head, Satine! This is also about power. The Radio Demon alone won't rival Samael, but with the princess, they will! And with the princess comes Lucifer! If we play our cards right, we can gain absolute protection!" Satine lowered her leg, and then kneeled on one knee to face Ascarabee. He finally let go of her. "We need to keep a cool head, my dear. Will you pass the chance to keep everyone here protected?" 

"... We can't afford to hold grudges, can we?" 

"We're demons, my pet, and even worse. We're bohemians. We can't afford to have feelings." 

***

"Are you for real? While I was working my ass off to find Ascarabee, you were here having a nice drink?!" When Husk and Alastor found the others, they were still sitting at the bar. Angel was having his fourth drink of the night, and Vaggie was growling because she had said 'stop drinking' since the second one. 

The princess smiled and offered a cold glass of nice beer to the cat. Husk didn't hesitate to take it. 

"Did you have any luck?" 

"Yeah, we found the roach, but radio bastard here scared him off," Vaggie growled yet again, rubbing her face with both hands. Charlie wasn't happier. 

"What did you do?" The princess asked. Alastor was busy checking his gloved hands, so he didn't even bother to look at her. 

"Quite literally, my dear, I did nothing. The little man simply ran away." 

As Vaggie opened her mouth to propose a plan B, a thin cockroach leg landed on her shoulder. Ascarabee dragged her down into a hug. In his other arm was Charlie. 

"Hello, chickens! I'm sorry for the misunderstanding! I was called to solve a problem with a client, but I'm back! Where were we?" The insect let go of the women and took a seat by the bar. He ordered the barman to bring some good wine. "The party! Yes, I have a better idea to propose to you. It would be meaningless if we present an old show, everyone has seen them! So we can make a new one out of old songs."

"That was literally my idea," Angel complained, but Ascarabee talked loudly over his voice. 

"Four of our best numbers and one brand new song, sung by our very own hummingbird, Satine!" 

"Would you really do that?!" Charlie's excited gaze seemed to glow brighter than the chandelier in the ceiling. Ascarabee hopped off his seat to bow exaggeratedly before her.

"Of course, your majesty. Anything for the princess and her merciful cause." And her enormous amounts of money, he thought. Vaggie sighed in relief and took Charlie's hand between her own. 

"We're glad to hear that. This project means a lot to us, so thank you." 

"So, when is this all going to start? Can we leave now?" Asked Husk, paws pressed against his ears. 

"The rehearsals start first thing tomorrow! I'll give the order right away, my good ladies! Do not worry! Santino will arrange everything as quick as a rabbit running from a fox!" Before Ascarabee could leave with small cockroach steps, he found himself trapped by a thin, yet strong arm. Alastor was pressing him against his side with way too much force. His smile was slightly broader than usual. 

"Where are these rehearsals happening?" He asked. 

Ascarabee stuttered, trying to give a proper answer, but his fear was tying his tongue into an impossible knot. Charlie was the one who answered. 

"At the hotel, of course. We'll work non-stop for one month to make things perfect!" After this, Alastor's grip on the cockroach became so strong Ascarabee almost cracked. Only when the insect began to push him away, did he let go. 

"No, that won't do, we can't waste so much time. A past production is quite enough. They will get to the hotel, do their thing, and then leave immediately. Voila!" 

"What? Al, you can't be serious! They're offering us something amazing, we can't just reject them!" Alastor pressed his lips together into a boyish smile, eyes wide open. 

"Yes, we can!" 

"No, we can't!" Replied Vaggie, rushing to support Charlie. "This party was your damn idea, and you were the one who brought us here. You can't suddenly decide that the best outcome 'will not do'" she did her best to imitate his tone, "and decide for everyone! This gives us something good to offer, and a reasonable amount of time to let things cool down before announcing the party!" 

Alastor laughed, a hand over his monocle. His expression remained as happy as always. "You see, my dear, I actually can do it. I'm doing it right now!" 

The cat demon growled too, "what the fuck has gotten into you all of a sudden? You terrified the man to make him agree, and when he agrees, you terrify him too?!" 

Satine arrived right then, with a feather stole around her shoulders and a new dress. She had taken some time to prepare herself (mentally and physically) to face the man that tried to choke her earlier.

The singer didn't feel quite ready yet, but she was determined. She was a professional liar. 

She pressed her side against Angel Dust and took Ascarabee's cup of wine with confidence. "True, what has gotten into you? " She was talking directly to Alastor. "You're a showman, and Bee told me you're the one in charge of this event's entertainment. Will you really allow a mediocre performance for a show that's your responsibility?"

Surprisingly, Alastor remained silent. His expression was frozen in a happy smile, and he was seemingly unaffected. Satine resumed, "I get what's happening, but let's have a truce. I agreed to help, and I will help. So let's work together and be over it. No hard feelings, sugar, I mean it." 

Everyone stared at Satine's hand, extended towards Alastor. Charlie exchanged confused looks with everyone, but no one commented on the familiarity between those two. 

They knew each other, apparently. 

Alastor blinked twice, a boyish smile still on his face. Then he chirped "Nope!" and disappeared immediately. Satine was left with her empty hand extended towards nothingness.

"Fine, be like that." 

***

"Rehearsals will have to start in three days. Santino will have to arrange everything and work on the new song. We're currently working on a few numbers, but I don't think Bee will want to use those." 

Satine walked the group to the door, Angel was with them despite insisting on staying back to find Samael. The only one missing was Alastor. 

"If Smiles won't oversee this whole show thing, I can do it, y' know? I'm in the showbiz too! I can help with the new song and shit!" The spider had one of his upper arms around Satine's waist, she was tall enough for him to rest it there comfortably. "And in exchange, you can introduce me to that sexy demon with the bone hands!"

"That's great! Santino would have it under control, but he's gonna be busy with other things. If you want to, you and I can arrange something to perform together. That song of yours is great." 

"Yeah, baby, you leave it to me!" 

The spider liked her, and Satine liked him too. Maybe that was how friends were made. Pole-dancing together

Charlie thanked her again before getting into the limousine, which had to be called to pick them up. Since Alastor was gone, they had to wait until it arrived to leave. 

Satine waved them goodbye, and then went inside again. The loud music was still resonating everywhere, but the demons were leaving slowly. Soon, only a few would remain, and the music would stop. Satine walked straight to her changing room again. 

Samael was in the house, so he would likely ask her to join him for dinner. He was the prince of the ring of lust, yet he had never tried to touch her sexually. He simply liked to talk. She was used to it by then. 

"What are you doing?"

Satine was applying more blush and dusting talc all over her neck and chest when Alastor's tall figure appeared behind her. It happened in a blink, so she jumped in fear and stood up immediately. 

He was smiling, all happy-go-lucky, and somehow that terrified the woman even more. "You only come back into my life for a solid hour, and you're already ruining everything." 

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to take her scissors but remembered she'd thrown them somewhere before. She tried, then, with a shoe. The heel should be sharp enough, or so she thought. Her little weapon only made Alastor laugh loudly. 

"Drop that, you look positively ridiculous." He strode towards her and trapped her throat in one hand. She was slightly taller than him, but he still managed to lift her by the neck. "One hour and you ruin the only source of entertainment I've found in the last decade. Do you enjoy making me suffer?" 

"Let me go!" Satine kicked him, but for Alastor, her struggles were useless. He didn't even wince. "I will scream, I swear!" 

"Scream all you'd like, doll, I'll feed my 'gathors with whoever comes." 

"You brute! Let me go, or I will have Samael eat you alive!" She kicked and struggled to shove him away, her lungs trying to take in as much air as possible, but failing. "You think you can go against a prince of hell?! Kill me, and I'll have him fuck you up! I swear I will have him fuck you up!" 

Despite no air getting to her lungs, her voice still came out clear enough. Breathing wasn't necessary, but the anxiety of having her windpipe crushed was enough to make her stutter. She opened her mouth once again, determined to scream, but Alastor's gloved hand pressed against her face. 

Her scream was successfully muted. 

"You always hide behind powerful men, I see this hasn't changed. You're still a whore who sells herself to the highest bidder." 

Somehow, amid the struggle, Satine managed to free herself. She ran to the other side of the room and pointed her shoe at him. "Yes, Alastor, and you're never the highest bidder! That's it. You don't like it? You don't want to see me again? Kill me then! Come on, fucking kill me, I dare you!" The hand holding up the shoe was shaking violently with fear, she was ready to run away and hide behind Samael. Still, she couldn't shut up. 

"You didn't get to do it when I left you in the middle of Mardi Gras, but you can do it now. Come on, do it! Kill me! Break my neck, eat my flesh like the disgusting monster you are. It's been a century, and I'm tired, I will not stop you! But he's gonna get you, I will make sure he does! I may be weak, but I have him wrapped around my finger!" 

Her outburst managed to make his expression falter, his smile was still there, but he was grinding his teeth with too much force, all of his factions tensing up. He caught her again, this time not by her throat, but by her wrists. She was pinned against the wall. Her shoe fell to the floor. 

"You silly little creature, you don't know what you're talking about," he spat. "You will not ruin the only source of entertainment I have, and if you do, I will tear this place to pieces and kill everyone in it. You think I will not fight that demon of yours, but you're wrong. You don't know the extent of my power." 

"Oh, will you? You're all bark but no bite." The singer pushed his hands desperately, trying to free her arms, but Alastor's grip around her wrists was so hard, she could feel her bones cracking. 

"Don't you try me, little bird. I have many reasons to make sure your existence is miserable." Alastor's tone was an octave deeper, eyes turning into radio dials, and static growing louder. 

"Then why am I still alive, Alastor?! You've killed for less, you knew I was here, why didn't you hunt me down before? Why did you come here? Why did you make me see you again?! It's been 91 years, I know you've been around, and I know you're powerful enough to find me and make me suffer, so why now!? Why did you come here now!?" She tried to struggle again, but before she had the chance, the radio demon let her go as if her skin burnt. 

The left corner of his smile was trembling as if he had to fight to keep his lips stretched. Satine fell to the floor, unable to hold her own weight. 

She was not embarrassed by crying in front of him, so she did.

Trying to hold back a little bit, she shut her eyes, but her labored breath and hurting wrists reminded her of what had just happened, and the demon standing there, watching her cry, did nothing to soothe her pain. 

When she managed to put herself more together, she glared at him. He was still there, standing. 

"Would you leave me alone? I need to change and retouch my makeup since I'll be keeping my head." 

He left by his own feet, without another word. He even closed the door gently. 

Satine sat got up and then sat on her vanity chair, decided to put on her makeup all over again, but she couldn't. She broke down right there, the small container of Rouge in her hand. Her lungs and back hurt, and her wrists were probably damaged. Still, she wasn't crying out of fear or pain. 

When she finished crying,[ _she began singing_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5DjqmqZQ1s), cheek against the cold surface of the vanity. Her face was wet with her tears, but her breath was no longer labored. She always managed to calm down with a song, so she allowed herself to sing. 

Her song allowed her to confess her sins, vocalize her pain through words someone else wrote. 

She was praying to a God that had forsaken her. A God that had no place in hell, but in which she still trusted. 

She was naive, Bee was right. 

Weakly, she whimpered each word with a broken voice, breathless. 

**_"Jesus, I must confess that in all my loneliness, I've forsaken and I've sinned, leaving fragments of a man so broken... "_ **

Lifting her face from the vanity surface, she stared at her ruined reflection. With trembling hands, she reached for a cotton pad to remove all of the smudged mascara and stained foundation. 

**_"Well, the more that I start to play, my deceitful evil ways keep growing stronger by the day."_ **

Santino arrived at her door to tell her Samael wanted to dine, but Satine didn't answer, she kept singing as if he wasn't there. After a moment, the director entered the room and found the disaster her fight with Alastor had caused. He made sure she wasn't injured, and then said he would excuse her with the prince. 

Satine didn't talk at all, she was removing her makeup, exposing that horrible face she hid from everyone. 

She wasn't ugly, no. She was beautiful outside, but inside? 

**_I've been careless, and I have been warned_ **

**_And the devil inside me is torn_ **

**_God bless the men that I have scorned_ **

**_Oh Lord, have mercy on my soul_ **

**_For I have walked the sinful road_ **

Alastor wasn't a monster. She was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOO this is it for today, I'm hyped and trying to write down all I can because once the hype is gone I'm gonna be slow as hell hahaha. I've recently started drawing my own version of Satine on twitter, I can only draw onions, but if you want to check it out you can follow me! @dimevictoriaxfa I'm also on Tumblr as NeverHolyGrail 
> 
> The Spotify playlist is also still available and I decided to use it to store the songs I plan to use, It has no longer an order but you may have fun guessing the destiny of La Rue Macabre by listening to the music, also they're just amazing songs so listen to them lol. You can find it [ _HERE_ ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0etcpkotgWVWteIvw2bZOb?si=XrjJceOgRriIuyxG41EFig)
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated <3


	5. Shut up and dance with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are still hard feelings, but there are always hard feelings when you're working with your ex.

"Santino, do you have a moment?" Santino did not have a moment. Now that Ascarabee decided they would accept the princess's request, and perform in her inauguration party, everything had to be arranged. That was Santino's work, and he only had an hour left. 

The director was roaming around the backstage, shouting orders and carrying a pile of papers. Old programs he studied to arrange the new show. Ascarabee seemed to believe this was a matter of, 'hey, people liked songs A, B, and C, let's present them all.' Santino knew it was more complicated. 

Each song had to make sense with each other, and he had fifty-eight minutes to make sure he created something perfect. He did not have a moment to spare. 

Despite knowing this, because she was the genius that convinced Ascarabee, Satine was still behind him, following him around the place. Santino picked yet another stock of papers and stuffed it between the others. 

"Darling, I just need one moment to..." 

"Hey, you fucker! Get your lazy ass upstairs, and help Carlos and the others with the damn props! If something gets damaged while we're on hold, I'm selling your wife to replace it!" The tall figure of the director was easily seen from far away. 

"Santino, listen to me, I have a problem..." 

"Imma' make you sweep this fucking floor with your eyelashes, Betsy, you've seen what falls to this floor during the night? I don't care about your fucking bachelorette party. Get upstairs! Props, props, props people!" 

"Maggie, Maria Lee, you go help Jean-Jacques with the instruments!" 

The man wasn't paying attention to her and, despite being somewhat educated, she didn't like being ignored. Satine had to actually hold him by the left arm to stop his long strides. Santino wasn't just tall, he was long, his steps were five of Satine's. 

"Santino! I need advice!" The man finally stopped, a pointy ear twitching in exasperation, but he still turned around to see the singer. 

"Baby, you're the overall mother of La Rue Macabre. I've been around for three years, and I have a production to make that's already taken three nights of sleep off my schedule. What EVER can I say to you?" 

True, it was somehow dumb for her to ask him for advice, but she wasn't above doing it anyways. She was terrified. 

"I have to deal with something complicated and... Ok, le'ts get you in context. Remember the huge drama I told you about?" Santino was counting the stocks of paper to make sure he had every program, so he wasn't looking at her.

"Which one of the thousands of dramas?"He asked. Satine stuttered, suddenly lost. Well damn, she did have thousands of dramas. 

"The main one! Come one, deary, I've told you about that a thousand times. You know, my... how did I call it once? My cross! The cross I bear!" 

"OOOOH yeah, what's with that?" 

"Well, Poncio Pilato came back." Santino lifted a brow. Now he was looking at the woman. "I mean, he's in hell since forever, and he's powerful, but now he has found me, and I seriously think I'm in danger. He said he didn't want me messing with a certain thing." The aye-aye shaped director then lifted his other brow. This was both confusing and concerning. 

The pile of papers was placed on an empty desk amid the hall only so Santino could cross his arms. 

"This has to do with your changing room being a disaster three days ago? And you being all zombie-like?" The woman nodded, chewing at her lower lip with something akin to shame. "But Satine, that happened decades ago. Like, if I remember correctly, this occurred when you were alive, and unless a really fast 100 something year old senior was chasing you, I don't get why now." 

"I KNOW!" Satine tossed her arms and started pacing around the aye-aye, her anger was evident. "This fucking man goes on ignoring me for almost a century, and I know he's been ignoring me, and one day he wakes up and decides he has a bone to pick?! Fucking clown!" 

Santino opened his mouth to talk, but Satine wasn't done yet. "And there goes Satine, challenging him anyways because, why the fuck not? Where does your sass end, Satine? Mamma said 'don't mess with powerful men, their pride will haunt you even in hell,' and she was right! You should listen to her!" The director lifted a finger as if asking for permission to speak. But still, the woman wasn't done. She began complaining, with an exaggerated tone. 

"But now, he wasn't powerful back then! He was a limp twit! A skinny little fellow, how do you kids say these days?"

"Please do not try to use modern slang, Satine, you sound like a..."

"He was a fucking weeb! is that correct?" 

"... A fucking grandmother and no, Satine, there's no way anyone was a weeb in the '20s." The woman huffed, crossing her arms in a tantrum-like gesture. Santino took a deep breath, trying to gather all of his patience and love for this woman so he could avoid killing her at once. "So, baby, did you want to vent? Or did you want advice?" At that, the singer remembered the point of her rant. Once again, she approached the director, her hands reaching for his forearms. 

"I'm terrified, I can't say I don't deserve any hate he might harbor for me, but I'm a coward, and I don't want to be killed just yet. I was thinking... " She trapped her lower lip between sharp teeth again as if trying to delay her question. 

Santino rolled his eyes so far back he almost saw his own brain. Then, he gestured Satine to hurry the fuck up. He had things to get done. 

"Should I play my joker and tell Samael?" 

Silence, Santino's face contorted into an expression of disbelief, mouth falling open. He eyed the woman from head to toe, seemingly offended by her reasoning. 

"So, instead of doing the coward thing and hiding from this powerful man, you are going to find an even MORE powerful and dangerous guy so you can mess with him?!" Santino growled, shark-like teeth grinding together hard in an attempt to conceal his exasperation. This woman was senile, he couldn't believe she even reached this logic. 

Satine stumbled with her own words, stuttering as she rushed to defend herself. "Well- I- Just, Tsssshh, Tssshhh!" She shooshed him, trying to clear her mind to speak. It made sense in her head.

"Listen, darling, I need to feel protected, and the bony fellow has the means to defend me! The guys from security won't mean shit to this man, I need an overlord, and-" 

"Yeah, and who are you going to find in a hundred years when is Samael the one hunting you down!? Jesus Christ woman. "

"But I'm not gonna mess with him! I'll just hint it like: 'cough, I'm in danger, cough' and he'll get it. Samael is a queer man darling, he will, and he'll protect me." 

Santino felt like taking the megaphone he used during rehearsals to shout as loud as he could into the woman's ear. She was being ridiculous. 

"Ok, number one: words change, and that Q word is a slur now, so don't fucking use it so freely. 

Number two: you're being an idiot. You think your 'bony fella´" he tried to imitate her voice, "will be there to scare the stalkers for nothing in return, but he's been coming here to watch, pay and occasionally wine and dine you for the last decade, and he has asked for nothing. When he charges, he'll charge expensively. Mark. My. Words."

"Oh! I am not suited to use the blender, but I am to catch up on how perfectly common words change their meaning and become insults overnight!" 

Santino rolled his eyes again, hands pulling at his own face. He was busy, he had things to do, and Satine was here being a disaster. Did they expect him to work like this? 

"Don't bring up the blender incident, and focus, baby, focus! If you want to know what I would do, the answer is run far away and hide, and stop messing with overlords. But you're the sparkling diamond of La Rue Macabre, and this is a nest of Overlords and royals. I don't know what else to say, except don't mess with Samael. I'm serious, Satine." 

"But I need him, or I'm going to die!" 

"You are not going to die, you damned drama queen! If that guy was so eager to kill you, why didn't he do it the minute he was alone with you?!" 

"I don't know, but I won't take any risks, I need Samael, but I need you to tell me I need him, so I can go on my merry way and make this bad decision!" 

Santino picked back his bunch of papers, cleary offended now. "Then fuck you! I won't tell you that you need that skeleton piece of-... Your grace!" The director had walked right into the main hall, followed close by Satine, only to find Samael himself there. Ascarabee was right beside him with a panicked expression. 

Holy shit, he didn't hear, did he? 

"What am I good for? I've heard my name, or at least variations of it."

*** 

"You think they will be able to work with this?" First thing in the morning, Charlie had woken up and dragged Vaggie to the Hotel's lobby. They were busy too! They needed to decide how to work with the place, would they need to move furniture? Maybe they had to take out all the pictures from the walls. There was also the bar/front desk taking a lot of space. 

The director, Santino, was supposed to stop by that morning to map the stage. They didn't have one. 

"I believe they're gonna be fine." Vaggie walked around the entrance hall. There were two couches, the stairs, the front desk, and the door. The hole in the wall had been fixed by Nifty. 

"Do you think they will have to hang stuff from the ceiling? Miss Satine was climbing some fabric ropes, OH! That would be so cool! You think we can put something like that in the roof?" Charlie piped. The moth demon brought a hand to her chin, contemplating the idea. 

"We should see the Hotel's blueprint to make sure the structure can hold up, but I think we can manage." Charlie hopped in her place, then hugged Vaggie, already excited about the possibility. 

Since it was quite early, they were alone in the lobby. Everyone had busy nights, and no one woke up early, especially since Husk and Nifty were just getting used to their new rooms. 

Three nights before, after they arrived from La Rue, they still spent almost an hour trying to figure out if Husk would stay in a room. 

And Nifty had made herself really at home and had cleaned almost every corner of the living room. Then, she went to sleep on a sofa. Waking her up and leading her to a room was hard because she wanted to clean as soon as she woke. 

That night they prepared a room for Alastor too, although they weren't sure if he would even come back. He hadn't been around in the last days.

"Good morning, ladies!" The loud, static-filtered voice of the radio demon made both women jump. 

So he was back. 

"I see you're a pair of early birds, that's magnificent! Just in time for a little introduction!" 

The radio demon was standing by the door, his suit was as flawless as ever, cane in hand, and a monocle over his left eye. Charlie smiled nervously, but willing to give him a chance. After all, she had said he could help for as long as he wished. 

"You came back! I wasn't sure if you would, but now that you're here, will you be staying?" Alastor blinked twice, almost confused. 

"I said I would help! I'm still so terribly bored!" He rubbed his face, a gesture of exasperation. Vaggie huffed. 

"So, are you going to need a room?" 

"Yes, sweetheart, a presidential suite will do just fine!!" 

Silence, both girls exchanged a look, then Vaggie frowned, and Charlie offered an apologetic smile. A presidential suite would be, then. 

"You said we were in time for introductions?" At this, Alastor grabbed Charlie's hand to pull her closer, his lack of respect for personal space was always shocking. 

"Yes! I've finally solved the party issue and found some fine artists. Ta-dah!" A snap of his fingers and a small group of demons appeared right in the lobby. They were all wearing oversized suits in a cartoonish way, holding instruments too big for their hands. "Get it, boys!"

The group started to play an old-sounding tune, something that suited Alastor's taste. The heavy vibration of metals and wind instruments filled the whole room. Their music was too loud for such an early time of day.

Both Vaggie and Charlie covered their ears. They were great, just... way too loud. As Alastor snapped his fingers to the rhythm, Charlie tried to speak, voice loud so he could hear her over the music. 

"This is nice Al! But, what are these persons for?!" Alastor turned his head, neck bending to an unnatural angle.

"For the party! These fine gentlemen are all the entertainment we need! Look." Now, the radio demon looked directly at the band. "Play 'Nothing could be sweeter'!" 

The ensemble obeyed and played the requested song. A slow, romantic tune filled the lobby, heavy strings, and metals fusing together in a chaotic melody. The walls were shaking with the volume. 

Vaggie stomped towards the group and grabbed the smallest demon among them. Then, she pushed him right inside the tuba, successfully muting their sound. The petite imps looked at her in panic, then at the pinstripe suit man. Alastor was smiling as if genuinely confused. 

"Ok, time out. What's going on? Do you know something we don't? Because this is just absurd. You took us to that place, you didn't even wait! Someone mentioned the club, and you dragged us all. We got there, and you forced your way in so we could hire them, and just when this stupid mission actually turns out successful, you decide you don't want them to come anymore? This is either you trying to intentionally ruin what we are trying to do or you knowing something we don't. So spill the tea now, or we won't let you have the presidential suite!" 

Charlie took Vaggie's hand to show her support. The moth woman wasn't screaming, she was simply being firm. And Charlie agreed with her reasoning. 

"I gotta say this is really weird, I mean, we don't actually know you, so I don't know if this is how you usually do eh... stuff. But if there's something we don't know that we should know, and would make us change our mind about Miss Satine's help, tell us and we can decide on what to do." 

The deer man snapped his fingers again, sending the band back to wherever he pulled them from. Then, he crossed his arms behind his back, bending down to look directly into Charlie's eyes. 

"Alright, your majesty, then I'll tell you." Then, he was towering over Charlie again, spine straight and happy-go-lucky smile back on his face, "they're terrible! That woman sings like a decadent hen, and the music is a crime! Since this show is my duty, I have to make sure it's perfect."

Terrible? But their performance was amazing! Alastor must have been blind! "What are you talking about?! I loved it! And many demons would kill to see that performance! Some will most likely literally kill to come and see it." 

Although, if they were honest, Alastor was a new acquaintance to both women. There was a chance he was just this eccentric and stubborn. Vaggie exhaled, trying to pull herself together. 

They had to be careful around him.

"There's no going back now, we've already hired them, they're coming any moment to map the stage (which we don't have), so let's try to work our way with what we have. You pick a song, something good that demons will love, something modern might be alright." A small, deep laugh echoed in the room. The girls only realized it belonged to Alastor when he took them both by the shoulders, squeezing them in a hug. 

"Well, if they come, then we shall arrange something fitting, something even that chachalaca can't ruin." 

***

Santino was looking to the ground, mouth trembling as he rushed to think of an excuse or at least some words to apologize to the bone handed prince. 

"Your Grace, I am... " but before he could talk, a skeleton hand patted the top of his head. Samael wasn't small, he was slightly taller than Satine, but Santino was ridiculously long. The man had to lift his chin to look into his eyes, so the scene seemed ridiculous. 

"Don't stutter, now, my friend! Skeleton piece of shit is a friendly nickname of mine by now, that's how my maids wake me!" He laughed out loud, waving a bone hand to dismiss the situation. The director's shoulders relaxed immediately. 

Holy shit, he could still feel the dread at the bottom of his stomach. 

"And I'm rather pleased to hear you call me your bony fella, Lady Satine." He reached for the singer's hand to kiss her knuckles, bending slightly. Satine forced a nervous laugh that came out as a stupid snort, she wasn't prepared to act right now. She didn't have any makeup on. 

"Look at him, calling me a lady as if I'm some kind of court woman. The last time someone called me a lady, it was a clerk at Wasmart saying 'excuse me, lady, you can't eat the grapes'."

She laughed too loud at her own joke, and no one else followed her. Ascarabee's antenna was twitching nervously. Santino was holding back from slapping her. 

Samael, however, smiled. She was so simple, so vulgar. That's why he loved talking to her. 

"Well, the lady Satine deserves all the grapes she wishes for. I'll send some your way later. Now, what am I good for? Unless you were simply talking shit about me behind my back?" 

"No!"

"No, excellency, sir, we would never!" 

"Don't even think that!" Everyone rushed and spoke at the same time, Samael lifted both brows, staring at Ascarabee with something akin to disbelief. The cockroach stumbled with his own words. 

"No, sir, we-... I told you we're having a private event and, since your artistic eye is so unique, we were thinking about sharing the ideas for the new show with you to-... " He trailed off, trying to find an excuse. Satine hurried to help. 

"So you could tell us what you think! Because, if your Grace like's it, it'll be a success!" 

"And you may want to overlook the production, as our main patron!" Santino followed, voice an octave high as dread filled his belly. 

Samael hummed. He took a seat at the bar, the only place with chairs on the first floor. All the tables were inside the boxes. 

He took off the black jacket he was wearing and supported his back on the bar table. His red hair was always brushed back, but at that moment, it was slightly disheveled because it wasn't tied.

Some of the girls from backstage were already staring at him, peeping through the curtains. Satine didn't blame them. She also found attractive this new meat-suit of his, although maybe it was because it reminded her of... 

"So, you've been talking about auditioning this show for me, hoping I would approve it." He commented, relaxed. Everyone rushed to praise him. 

"Nailed it at once!" 

"Correct!"

"Your Grace is a genius!"

Samael smirked, a deep chuckle leaving his lips. He loved how terrified they were of him. 

"So, what's the story of your show?" 

They all looked at each other as if trying to discover who would say it. Except none of them knew the story. There was no story, it was a performance made with old songs. Satine told the aye-aye demon to hurry up only with her eyes, and the director had no choice, but to start a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPEepGDNioc) that would solve their problem. 

** "There'll be lovers." **

** "And singers!" ** Satine sang. 

** "And entrepreneurs!" ** Ascarabee followed. 

Samael lifted a brow, but still leaned his body closer to the group, interested in the sudden song. They were artists, so it wasn't strange for them to just break into song anytime. 

Strangely enough, it wasn't uncommon in hell, in general. People seemed to like singing here. 

Ascarabee sang and narrated the scene of a massacre. Apparently, this show would be set right after a cleanse. Samael's expression didn't seem convinced, so Santino made a face, and Ascarabee changed his path. 

** "Sweet Satine, who plays our ingenue, a sparrow singing up and down each avenue."  **

The woman hopped right on Samael's lap with confidence, now singing about wearing a thin black dress. The prince appreciated this, his hand resting on the curve of her waist. 

Santino continued his song. This was the tale of a woman who falls in love with a penniless artist. They share a turbulent love story, seemingly unaware of a third person entering their lives to break them apart. A man already claims her, an evil gangster who runs this town. 

** "He buys her love!" ** They all declared at the same time, and Satine continued,  ** "He buys her clothes!"  **

** "He's rough, but this is all the poor girl knows!"  ** Followed the Roach. 

They sang the rest of their show. The artist would declare his intentions to marry the girl or die, but she would laugh at him and pick the rich gangster. She would tell him that his love would never give her the life she deserved and then leave him forever. 

The artist would be driven mad by heartbreak. In the end, he murders her and then commits suicide. 

There had to be a sad ending, this was hell. 

"Is this it?" Samael asked when their song was done. Some of the dancers from backstage were clapping awkwardly, a white noise over their labored breaths. Santino was kneeling, hands up. He was making jazz hands. 

Satine elbowed his ribs to make him stop. 

"Yes, your grace. This is what we have in mind." The director was the first one to stand up, and Ascarabee followed, hopping with small cockroach steps and running around the prince. 

"You're welcome to attend princess Charlotte's inauguration Party, sir! We hope you'll come!" 

The red-haired demon stood up abruptly, arms open at his sides. "I love it! I can't wait to see it!" Satine, Santino, and Bee cheered loudly at this, both relieved and scared at the same time. "I'll let my friends know! it's a shame I'll have to wait a month before I can hear sweet Lady Satine's voice again, but I presume the wait will be worth it."

The man put his jacket over his shoulder to walk directly into Ascarabee's office, waving his goodbye to the director and his star. Once he was gone, Santino leaned into Satine's ear. 

"He's up to no good. Don't give him more power over you. Don't mess with him." 

Satine bit her lip. 

"Can I drive, darling? You'll need time to arrange a whole new show that fits what we just told him." 

*** 

They were thirty minutes late. Charlie was pacing around the lobby as she waited, looking insistently at the door every two turns. Vaggie was sitting on the couch, scrolling down on her hellphone to pass the time, and Alastor was sitting in the bar, playing some loud, annoying music from who knew where. 

"They're supposed to be here today, right?" 

"Oh, maybe they simply won't come! I told you, this woman and her circus are a nest of treacherous, lying fools..." 

The loud creak of a car break interrupted Alastor, and then, a car was going through the door, crashing into the newly restored wall. It was a black Impala.

Both Vaggie and Charlie screamed and rushed to aid whoever was in the vehicle. 

A long, nylon covered leg kicked open the driver's door with force. Satine got out with a dignified expression. She dusted her casual cotton dress, eyeing the car with disinterest. 

From the other side of the car, the door creaked open, and Santino crawled out on all fours, still shaking. 

"Well, could have been worse." 

"You're NEVER driving again! Put the car on the list of things you can't touch! The blender, the toaster, the hair curling iron, the Loogle home, and the 3d printer are off the table for you!" 

Satine crossed her arms, offended. "Well, it's not my fault they make them like this now! I spent 40 years mastering the car driving thing, and now they decide they don't need a clutch? Next time tell me I don't need to push all the way to change the speed!" 

"Are you okay?!" The princess was the first to arrive, worried about the artist's safety. "What happened?!" 

"I'm so, so, so sorry, your majesty. I'm going to make sure your wall is fixed as soon as possible." Santino bowed exaggeratedly towards Charlie. Then, he elbowed Satine, trying to make her apologize too. 

"Oh, but I think it's a lovely touch! You can make it an avant-garde window!" Santino's long arm wrapped around her shoulders and forced her down, to bow. "Ow, OK!" 

Vaggie ran to Charlie's side with a first aid kit in hands, she had it close-by because this place always had turf wars going on, so it was better to be prepared. "Sit down, what happened?" Asked the moth. Santino rose once again, his height was ridiculous, and Vaggie had to arch her back a little to look at his face. 

"The old lady is senile, don't mind her. She thought the gas was the clutch." 

Satine wasn't short, and Vaggie had to look up too when she spoke, "I'm not familiar with these two-pedal vehicles, but I'll get a grip of them soon, don't worry." She waved her hand, fixed her dress, and walked towards the living room with one of her shoes in hand. She had lost the other during the accident. 

She looked around with confidence, hands in her hips until she turned around and bumped directly into Alastor. All color left her face. 

He was right in front of her, his face mere inches from her. She was barely taller, so his eyes were almost level with hers. The sensation of dread and fear filled her belly immediately. She tried to speak, but her throat hurt as if he was choking her again. 

"Miss sparkling diamond, you made it!" He chirped, his voice loud and overly friendly. He had told her not to mess with his entertainment, and to this day, she still didn't understand what he meant. 

"I'm Santino García, sir, I think we didn't get to meet at the house." The director appeared right behind her, Satine hoped he'd pull her away from him because she couldn't move. 

"Alastor, my long friend, quite a pleasure to meet you! We thought you wouldn't be able to come, are you always late to your appointments?" The complaint didn't go unnoticed, and Santino bowed a bit. 

"No, sir, I tell you this woman is..."

"What are you doing here?" 

The singer finally managed to speak, although her voice was trembling. Ascarabee said he was taking part in this party, and she knew he was most likely going to appear from time to time. It was his party, after all. Her question actually made no sense, and she knew. She needed to ask anyway. 

Alastor made his cane disappear so he could grab her by the shoulders in a friendly manner, but when his arms extended towards her, Satine lifted her shoulders and took a step back, as if shielding her neck. "Don't!" She screamed. 

Charlie, who had been there the whole time, couldn't help but notice how Satine seemed uncharacteristically tense all of a sudden. She put herself between Alastor and the singer, but her tiny figure did nothing to hide her from the Radio Demon. 

"Let's calm down everyone." She said, forcing a nervous laugh. "Al is here because he's in charge of overlooking the whole production. He's going to propose a song too! Right, Al?" The princess tried to spread her good energy, but it was futile. 

Satine felt a mix of guilt and dread when her eyes landed on Alastor. And it was stupid because she knew already that he would be here, that he was partaking in the party planning. 

She took a deep breath, then another, and another. She forced the dread out of her system, forced her jaw to relax once again. This time, when Alastor threw his arm around her shoulders, she didn't flinch. 

"Exactly! I've arranged a wonderful list of songs to perform! Why so serious my dear?" 

"I'm not serious." She declared, face serious. "I mean, will you be a gentleman and work properly with me? No hard feelings?" 

Vaggie crossed her arms next to Charlie, eyes fixed on Alastor. The princess stared at him expectantly too. By then, it wasn't a secret that they knew each other, and last time Satine told him to work together, Alastor had disappeared for three days. This time, the Radio Demon simply made his cane appear and signaled a spot behind the bar. 

"A word, missy!" 

***

"I told you not to mess with my entertainment. I was positive you would be a doll and stay away, I even hired a proper band." 

It was strange for Alastor to speak calmly and in a low voice. He liked to speak, and his voice was perfect for narrating, announcing and being loud in general, so this almost whispered conversation had him tapping his foot on the floor with exasperation. 

Satine was sitting in a high bar chair, looking at him slightly from above. The woman was ready to scream any minute if the radio demon dared put his hands on her, but by now, the safe distance allowed her to cross her arms, her expression somewhat dignified. 

"So your entertainment was planning this party? Are you so deadly bored that you've decided to try your luck as an event planner?" Alastor's neck bent to an unnatural angle, his eyes narrowing as if he was analyzing Satine. He could feel the fear emanating from her, see her tense fingers and trembling lips. Despite this, she dared speak to him as if she was doing him a favor. 

He was angry at the familiarity of her tone. 

"Oh, I am deadly bored. This whole project is silly nonsense, but what entertainment it promises!" He rocked his upper body from side to side, like a bored child at the dentist's waiting room. "Redeeming sinners, can you believe? HA! What fun awaits!" 

"But I'm only here for this party. I ain't gonna mess with your sadistic failure festival afterwards!" 

"You will stick your nose into this, I know. I would suggest you play the diva and leave now. I still maintain my friendly warning, you wouldn't want anything to happen to, say, that long friend of yours, right?" Satine stood up at this, stomping towards Alastor despite her fear. She made sure to stand perfectly straight to take advantage of her extra centimeters of height. 

"I will make Samael fuck you up if you try something." She whispered, her voice an octave lower. "If you think I believe for one second that you're powerful enough to fight him and win, you've seriously underestimated my intelligence. I know you're strong, I know you could destroy the house with everyone in it, but you're just a sinner." His expression became dark, but Satine was determined to defend her family. "I could ask Stolas to step on your skull and he would be able to do it with his eyes closed." 

Her warning came out faster than usual because she was trying to sound firm. Alastor stared at her in silence, smile splitting his face and black gums showing. He could feel something akin to anger forming inside his chest, but it wasn't quite that. He wasn't an idiot, and he knew she was right.

His expression made the woman shiver, and she took one single step back, ready to run if necessary. She was a coward, but she would rather be a living coward than a dead hero. 

When he didn't answer anymore, Satine licked her lips and spoke again, daring to take a step towards him once more. "Ninety-three years, Alastor. We've successfully avoided each other for ninety-three years. One month of seeing your face won't kill me. One month, that's all. When this party is done, I'll be gone. I will do myself a favor and burn every fucking radio in the house, and make sure you never see my face again. Just one month." 

She wasn't above begging, so she did.

"And what makes you think you're in a position to bargain with me?" he asked, and Satine could feel him cracking. For some reason, he was actually thinking of backing off and being reasonable. She allowed herself to smirk. 

"You don't have a choice. Either we get along for one month, or we start a war you can't win." Once again, the radio demon was silent. His smile twitching, as if he was trying hard to keep it on his face. He already knew he didn't have a choice. 

He could give up on this project and go back to rotting on his swamp, he could terrify small demons for fun. Again. But deep down, he knew he had been the one to go looking for her after so long. Part of him wanted to be around her, just to terrorize her, maybe, to hear her sing, too. 

He wouldn't go away, he knew so much. And after this month was done, his boredom could be killed off with the princess's project. He sighed, shoulders relaxing a bit. The woman rested a hand on his upper arm, and he didn't shove it away. 

Just as he was coming to terms with her reasoning, and almost agreeing out loud, Satine opened her mouth. 

"Just pretend is 1925 again," she said in a breath, lifting a shoulder, "shut up and dance with me?" 

At this Alastor froze, his smile finally faltering and disappearing from his face. The static noise around him became insanely loud from one moment to the next, and a lamp that was near-by exploited by itself. 

He pushed her away, hard, almost as by reflex. 

When Satine hit the border of the bar, the confidence she had built up dissolved, and in change a heavy feeling of dread and guilt filled her throat and gut. 

What was she thinking? Was she an idiot? How dare she joke around that topic? 

"That's a year I'm happy to pretend I never lived." He declared, voice buried in static. 

The fight caught everyone else's attention, and soon Charlie and Vaggie were helping Satine up. 

"What the fuck?!" Vaggie was the first to speak, her hands on Satine's forearm. Charlie was checking the damaged lamp. 

"I refuse to work with this woman and that's final!" Alastor shouted, already stomping outside the hole in the wall. 

"I'll try to talk to him," The blond girl said, already walking after the Radio Demon. However, Satine stopped her by grabbing her tiny wrist. 

"No, no, it's fine, it's... Let him calm down, it was my fault. I said something I-... It's my fault." 

***

He reached the other side of the pentagram in a snap of his fingers, this place was far more populated than the whereabouts of the hotel, so he could happily vent his anger here. A group of shadow demons was already chasing and intimidating some sinners. They caught one and dragged him towards the radio demon. 

Alastor was sitting in a bench, elbows on his knees and hands covering his face. He felt angry and tired, and overall, he felt regretful. 

How dare she? And he, was he an idiot? 

"HELP!" A shadow tentacle trapped the poor sinner from before, squeezing him with force. A female sinner was screaming somewhere near, and the sound soothed Alastor's anger a little. 

He had been naive, or overly confident. He had made a mistake when he decided to go and see her after all those years. A century had passed, and the woman hadn't even crossed his mind in years. Sometimes, he even forgot that part of his life, so he thought it would be easy. 

He would go and see her, see what had become of her, and leave because it was impossible to still feel all this spite in his chest after one hundred years. Especially since he had literally forgotten about her.

If his reaction to hearing the name of that theater was: 'oh right, she exists!", surely he could manage to see her in person. 

He couldn't. Her voice was the same, her presence, her personality. She had the same sass and the same attitude. Alastor had been painfully transported a hundred years into the past in a second. He should have left then, but he still went to see her after her number. He wanted to prove the past was buried, maybe say some cruel things to her to have a laugh, and then leave. 

And she had him wrapped around her finger in a moment. His violent outburst had been caused by the pain her mere presence caused him.

He was a moth, and she was a moth trap, a pretty light designed to attract and burn him. All it took to make him stutter was a 'let's work together' from her, and he nearly agreed without a fight. 

Fortunately, she dared to bring up the past, and his anger gave him an excuse to escape. But still... 

_Still..._

He wasn't angry at her for bringing up the past, he was mad at himself. Mad at his own mind because it kept replaying a scene from so many years ago, a scene he was convinced was forgotten. 

He kept seeing her, but not her. The elegant figure of that woman with no trace of her demonic features. He kept listening to that particular song, muffled from afar because he was peeking into La Maison de velours from outside, Carlisle and Louis by his sides. 

He replayed the scene over and over again, his human self back in 1925, dragging his two best friends to the most exclusive burlesque show in Louisiana. Stealing the guest list to pick a false name so he could sneak inside. Let's convince them to sing live in broadcast, let's show the world what's the show like, a show only royals and millionaires can see. 

He had arrived after the show, Satine was on the dance floor. Except her name wasn't something as vulgar as 'Satine' then. She went by another name, but Alastor wasn't sure if that was her real name. 

He replayed in his mind the way that name had been shouted from behind him, and the way she turned around. He had memorized that name in a second. He distinctly remembered thinking she could read his mind, because when he repeated her name in his head, her eyes landed on him. 

The shadow monster opened a gigantic mouth in the ground, and the horrified sinner was thrown inside to be eaten. The female sinner was now trapped too, begging for her life and offering favors, money, and other meaningless things. 

Alastor wasn't listening, his claws were buried into the skin of his face as he tried to put the memory off his mind. 

But he could see her, in her human form, her human name, approaching him all the way from across the dance floor. He could feel the weight of her hand on his shoulder, he still remembered saying he wasn't the person she thought. It was a false name, he just saw it in the guest list and picked it. 

But he couldn't say anything because her hand was pressed to his mouth. She pulled him by the arm with a mischievous smirk, inviting him to break the rules. She had said, **"Shut up and dance with me!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a bit more time to write this because I've been drawing a lot lately, also I've been working on a Radiosnake piece that I will post hopefully tomorrow! It's kinda long but its pure porn so oh well. BTW, if you're interested,[ here](https://neverholygrail.tumblr.com/post/623998325759311872/my-children-live-im-so-proud-of-this-onion) and [here](https://neverholygrail.tumblr.com/post/624037111236083712/hi-there-bony-fella) I've drawn both Santino a Samael. I've been drawing my own version of Satine a lot, but I don't want to show her here, I want you to picture her as your own OC, so not gonna link any drawings of her. However, I post a lot about this fanfic on Twitter and Tumblr. I'm @dimevictoriaxfa on twitter! 
> 
> BTW HAVE YOU STREAMED ADDICT?! STREAM ADDICT! I had plans for Angel in this fanfic that now make so much sense, you don't know how excited I am now! Everything fits so well and I'm AAAA I need to scream! 
> 
> CLARIFICATION: The usage of the word Qu*er is related to GNC men since the mid 19th century, but the use to refer to strange, extravagant or eccentric didn't disappear until around the 30's if I'm correct. I could be wrong. Of course, now it's still a slur for many, Santino died in 2016, so he knows this. 
> 
> Things are becoming clearer and clearer! I'm so excited!! Comments are kudos are appreciated <3 please scream with me about this. 


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